crabby crabbers
Maryland's Trump country wants its seasonal workers back
The crabbing industry in Hoopers Island, Maryland, has been decimated by the Trump administration's visa caps, NBC News reported Tuesday.
Hoopers Island lies in a county that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump, but now that peak crabbing season has begun, locals are disappointed that new policies have negatively affected small businesses. The Trump administration this year restricted H-2B visas, which allow seasonal employees to come from abroad with temporary work authorization. On Hoopers Island, 40 percent of the H-2B visas have vanished, leaving crabbing businesses without much-needed labor.
In past years, the town would receive 500 visas, many of which would go to Mexican women who would come pick crab meat during the busy season. This year, only 300 were approved, leaving the entire supply chain in flux. Without enough crab pickers, some business have shut down, reports NBC News. Locals say they can't find any Americans willing to do the job, and say the important industry is suffering due to the restrictions.
Even though jobs have evaporated and the change has driven prices up, some residents say they don't fault Trump for the sudden lurch. "I just don't think Donald Trump knows what's going on down here right now," said one local. "Because if you're for business, well, you're putting businesses out of work here." Read more at NBC News.