May 12, 2026 — U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) has asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to release more temporary worker visas for his state’s shrimp industry, which is facing labor shortages ahead of the upcoming commercial season.
“Shrimpers from my congressional district and across the Gulf region applied for the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers program but have not secured the necessary visas for the upcoming shrimp season, which begins on 15 July,” Gonzalez said in a 13 May letter. “The domestic shrimping industry is already facing an existential crisis due to unfair competition from foreign imports, combined with severe labor shortages and increased fuel prices. Without immediate action from the administration, this industry will suffer irreparable harm if they cannot employ the workers they need for the upcoming commercial shrimp season.”