“Recruited with the promise of a US cultural exchange, graduates ended up trapped in a factory farm.”

…Yet according to the lawsuit, plaintiffs instead worked dangerous jobs in hog processing facilities and discovered that most of the other promises — from free housing to cultural exchange — were a “sham.” Before their first paycheck, the plaintiffs had to shell out thousands of dollars, relying on loans and selling their belongings…

The lawsuit was filed against Livingston Enterprises Inc. (LEI), a company that operates in Nebraska and Kansas, and Worldwide Farmers Exchange, a California-based nonprofit. A number of employees at both organizations are also named in the suit…

… Luring visa holders to work in concentrated feeding operations with promises of a cultural and educational experience via the J-1 visa program is deceptive and exploitative, the lawsuit alleges…

To pay for the approximately $2,535 program fees, Gonzalez sold his car and took out a loan with a monthly interest of around 15 percent…

When Gonzalez and Contreras got to their housing there … they found that they would be living in four-person “makeshift windowless rooms in a former Walmart,” the lawsuit alleges…

… LEI did not respond to Sentient’s multiple requests for comment…