Sponsors (3)
The bill lets crawfish processors lawfully hire H‑2A workers for specific processing tasks—easing labor shortages and legal uncertainty for that industry—while raising risks of wage pressure on local workers, added administrative costs, and potential worker‑protection gaps unless oversight is strengthened.
Crawfish processors and their seasonal workforce gain clear, lawful ability to hire H‑2A nonimmigrant workers to perform specific processing tasks (washing, sorting, grading, boiling, peeling, transporting), reducing legal uncertainty for employers and immigrant workers.
Crawfish businesses can broaden the pool of legally employable temporary labor, which may reduce labor shortages and help maintain production continuity and regional supply chains for crawfish products.
Local workers and middle‑class families could face reduced hiring opportunities and downward pressure on wages if employers rely more on temporary foreign labor for processing roles.
Adding processing activities to typical H‑2A examples risks labor abuses or poor working conditions for vulnerable temporary workers unless enforcement and worker protections are strengthened.
Employers and government agencies (DHS/USCIS) will face additional administrative and compliance burdens to certify, monitor, and enforce expanded H‑2A processing positions, potentially raising costs for businesses, consumers, or taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Adds specific crawfish processing tasks (washing, sorting, grading, whole-boiling, peeling, transporting) to the H-2A definition of agricultural labor.
Official title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the processing of crawfish as agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 15, 2026 by Troy Carter · Last progress June 15, 2026
Amends the H-2A nonimmigrant definition to explicitly add crawfish processing activities (washing, sorting, grading, whole-boiling, peeling, and transporting) to the illustrative list of agricultural labor or services covered by the H visa. The change clarifies that these specific crawfish processing tasks are treated as agricultural work for purposes of the H-2A program, making it explicit that employers may use H-2A temporary agricultural workers for those tasks.