Congressmen Carter, Higgins, Fields Introduce CRAW Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Clay Higgins (R-LA), and Cleo Fields (D-LA) introduced the bipartisan Crawfish Reclassification for Agricultural Workforce (CRAW) Act. This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to explicitly classify crawfish-processing work-such as washing, sorting, grading, whole-boiling, peeling, and transporting-as "agricultural labor or services." By recognizing these tasks as agricultural, the legislation makes crawfish-processing employers eligible to use the H-2A visa program, which is designed for temporary agricultural labor and is not subject to the annual caps that restrict the H-2B program.

"Louisiana's crawfish industry is a cornerstone of our state's agricultural economy and our cultural identity, but for too long, outdated visa classifications have left our processors scrambling for the workforce they need," said Rep. Carter. "I've heard directly from crawfish processors across Louisiana about the loss of income and crop simply because of bureaucratic definitions that somehow classifies peeling a crawfish tail as less agricultural than picking a tomato. The CRAW Act fixes this by calling crawfish processing what it is: agricultural work. This commonsense fix will give our processors access to a more reliable workforce, protect thousands of jobs, and help ensure Louisiana crawfish stays on dinner tables here at home and across the country."

The Louisiana crawfish industry has become one of the state's most economically significant agricultural sectors, with acreage and production increasing by approximately 200 percent over the past two decades and total economic value surpassing $640 million in 2025. However, the industry has struggled with severe labor shortages due to H-2B visa caps, delays, and inconsistent visa releases. These labor issues have forced processing plants to scale down operations or send unprocessed crawfish overseas for peeling, resulting in potential estimated losses of over $100 million. Shifting these jobs into the uncapped H-2A program would provide a more dependable workforce, strengthen Louisiana's agricultural economy, and help prevent supply shortages and price spikes for consumers.

"My office has long endeavored to correct workforce issues facing the crawfish industry, and I believe the CRAW Act provides long-term stability," said Rep. Higgins. "The legislation accounts for the unique nature of crawfish processing and rightly transitions the industry from the H2-B to H2-A visa program. I'm proud to sponsor this commonsense fix, and I'd like to thank Congressman Carter for his work on this issue."

"I'm proud to support the CRAW Act, which finally recognizes crawfish processing as the agricultural work it has always been," said Rep. Fields. "One simple change gives our processors access to the uncapped H-2A program and frees them from the H-2B caps and delays that have left plants short-staffed season after season. This is overdue relief for my constituents. Crawfish is a way of life in Louisiana and a major driver of our economy, yet labor shortages have shut down plants, sent our catch overseas to be peeled, and cost the industry millions. A dependable, legal workforce shouldn't be too much to ask, and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing up for Louisiana's workers and producers."

"Farm grown commodities need to reach their markets to be of value to both the farmer and the consumer. Farms require a seasonal workforce to do that. Through the CRAW Act, Congressmen Carter, Higgins, and Fields are rightfully recognizing that crawfish processing should be eligible for H-2A, our agricultural guestworker program. Our delegation fought this miscategorized workforce regulatory battle with us in the spring and we are very appreciative of the Louisiana members for carrying this fix forward to legislation," said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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