Kansas City, MO (KTRS) — Federal labor officials say temporary farmworkers were kept in “inhumane” conditions and paid less than they were owed while working in southeast Missouri.

The U.S. Labor Department recently issued a preliminary injunction against  Florida-based Marin J Corp, responsible for overseeing 107 workers near the Missouri Bootheel town of Kennett.

Marin J Corp. of Avon Park, Florida, consented to the preliminary injunction for workers it hired under the federal H-2A program, which allows foreign workers into the U.S. for temporary agriculture work.

Besides the inadequate living conditions, inspectors found the workers weren’t paid correctly and weren’t given adequate water while working 12-hour days harvesting watermelons.

An attorney for the Marin J Corp. said the company is cooperating with the investigation and working to comply with requirements.

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