'Lost all hope': Trump policies are crushing food industry in Republican heartland

Louisiana crawfish processors say it’s the height of spring season, but the Acadiana Advocate reports their crawfish processing tables are empty and money is vanishing out the door due to harsh new policies enacted by President Donald Trump.

“It’s a s——show,” said Charlie Johnson, owner of a crawfish processing plant in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. "We'd like to be processing. We prepped all offseason to make this work, but you can't do anything because you don’t have labor. And then also having to tell your farmers that you can't move their product."

“Nearly all of Louisiana’s 20 crawfish processors are unable to hire migrant labor because of the federal cap on temporary visas, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain told [Louisiana] legislators last week,” according to the Acadiana Advocate.

“Without those workers, the crawfish don’t get peeled,” said Strain. “The plants will shut down, and either, one, those crawfish are not consumed, or two, as has happened in the past, they will fill up tractor-trailer loads of these crawfish, send ‘em down to Mexico, get ‘em peeled and bring ‘em back.”

But now normally bustling crawfish prep tables sit empty at the peak of spring season thanks to Trump’s onerous new process for legally hiring migrant workers.

Louisiana Crowley processor Alan Lawson says he has very little expectation of recouping his loss this year after his 125 migrant helpers failed to arrive this season. The Advocate reports his workers normally start in December, and his company is not eligible for the additional visas reserved for returning workers in January or for those entering a February federal admissions lottery. As of now, Lawson’s nearby refrigerating units — which are usually packed tight this time of year — hold only a few crawfish tail packages from last season.

"I've lost all hope. We would be happy going from 125 people to just give us 50. At least we can salvage (this)," said Lawson, standing in front of a crawfish sorter. "This machine doesn’t make us a whole lot of money when it's not making noise."

He told the Advocate that he has contacted several Republican officials, including Rep. Mike Johnson, who is the U.S. House Speaker, Gov. Jeff Landry and other contacts in Washington, D.C. But all he’s received is the assurance that they’re “working on it.” Louisiana residents overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

“This will cease to exist,” Lawson said about his processing plant if the issue isn’t resolved before next season.

In the meantime, the Advocate reports processing will likely shift to Mexican tables and push U.S. processors out of the picture.

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