A small New Jersey farm is at the center of a big question about how federal agencies punish businesses. The outcome could change how the government enforces rules meant to protect some of the country’s most vulnerable workers.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, in a case brought against Sun Valley Orchards over whether the Department of Labor can use its own administrative tribunals to impose large fines on employers that break agricultural visa rules.
What is the Sun Valley Orchards case about?
The department began pursuing penalties against Sun Valley Orchards, a fruit and vegetable farm in New Jersey, in 2015 over alleged violations of the H-2A visa program. The dispute has dragged on for more than a decade.
The program lets U.S. employers bring foreign workers into the country for temporary farm jobs. Federal law requires employers to meet standards for workers’ housing, pay and working conditions. Employers must also provide transportation and pay a set minimum wage for the region.
Congress gave the secretary of labor authority to impose financial penalties to enforce those rules, according to the government. The department fined Sun Valley Orchards hundreds of thousands of dollars through its own administrative judges. Those judges work within the department rather than in the federal court system.
What did the lower court decide?
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Sun Valley Orchards was entitled to have its case heard in federal court before being fined. The Labor Department is asking the Supreme Court to reverse that decision.
The farm argues the Constitution guarantees it a jury trial. The government argues its system is a lawful way to enforce a program Congress created. The case raises the question of whether agencies can act as both prosecutor and judge.
Why does the Seventh Amendment matter here?
The Seventh Amendment protects the right to a jury trial in many federal civil cases. The question is whether that right applies when agencies seek penalties through their own tribunals. The amendment is part of the Bill of Rights.
In 2024, the Supreme Court limited the Securities and Exchange Commission’s use of its own judges in SEC v. Jarkesy, ruling that people facing civil penalties for fraud are entitled to a jury trial. That decision has led to challenges against similar systems at other agencies.
The Sun Valley Orchards case tests how far that ruling reaches. Legal experts say the answer could affect many agencies that rely on their own judges.
Who could be affected by the Sun Valley Orchards ruling?
A ruling for the farm could limit how many federal agencies enforce rules, forcing more cases into federal court. Business groups say that would protect employers’ rights. Critics of the current system say it gives agencies too much power over businesses.
Worker advocates warn it could weaken enforcement of protections for farmworkers, many of whom come from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and depend on employers for housing. Advocates say workers on these visas are especially vulnerable to abuse because their legal status is tied to their employer.
Use of the visa program has grown sharply in recent years as farms struggle to find workers. More than 300,000 positions are certified each year.
What happens next?
The justices will hear arguments Tuesday, and a decision is expected by the end of the term next summer. The justices’ questions could offer clues about how they will rule.
The ruling in the Sun Valley Orchards case could reshape the balance of power between federal agencies and the businesses they regulate. Farmers and farmworkers alike will be watching closely.
