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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Gerald Herbert and Stephen Smith

Photos shows the crawfish processing in Louisiana, an industry hit by a shortage of foreign workers

Immigration Guest Workers - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Spring is peak crawfish season in Louisiana, an industry worth about $300 million.

However, the industry is struggling this year due to a shortage of seasonal foreign workers, and some are blaming President Donald Trump’s administration for what they say has been a failure to authorize enough guest workers in time.

Large-scale crawfish producers use guest workers, many from Mexico and Central America, to shell and freeze the freshwater catch that is often pulled from swampy rice fields — physically demanding tasks that American workers are generally unwilling to do.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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