U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff ruled that a Labor Department rule lowering wages for H-2A agricultural guest workers was unlawful because the agency failed to reasonably consider whether hiring foreign workers would adversely affect U.S. farmworkers' wages. Sherriff allowed the rule to remain temporarily in effect while ordering the agency to promptly produce a legally compliant replacement methodology and notify employers that backpay may be owed if new rates are higher. Farmworker plaintiffs said the rule cut H-2A wages by $3 to $7 per hour, including a 15% reduction in California from $19.97 to $16.90. The government said the reduction was intended to offset the effects of its immigration policies, while the Labor Department estimated the rule would save employers $2.46 billion annually.