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Monday, April 01, 2019

Governor Hogan Applauds Release of H-2B Visas to Help Maryland’s Crab Industry

office of the governor larry hogan

Governor Hogan Applauds Release of H-2B Visas to Help Maryland’s Crab Industry
 Calls for Permanent, Long-term Fix to Program

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today praised the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release an additional 30,000 visas through the H-2B Nonimmigrant Temporary Worker Program. H-2B workers are critical for Maryland’s seasonal blue crab industry and sweet corn processors. The governor also renewed his call for a permanent, long-term fix, such as reinstating the Returning Worker Exemption, expanding the current Seafood Exemption, or eliminating the cap altogether.

“I am pleased that the federal government has heeded our calls to raise the cap on the H-2B visa program, allowing our iconic processing houses on the Eastern Shore to open for business this year,” said Governor Hogan. “This is good news for this year, but we still need a long-term solution to this problem. I am calling on Congress to do the right thing and take action to ensure our crab houses have the workers they need to be successful.”

On March 14, Governor Hogan called on federal administration officials to reverse the 2018 decision to limit the number of visas available through the H-2B program and released a short film, The Watermen of Hoopers Island, which highlighted the threat that arbitrary federal visa policy changes posed to the crabbing industry. On Friday, Governor Hogan discussed the issue during a meeting with Maryland’s congressional delegation.

“A second year of hardship could permanently damage Maryland’s seafood industry, causing these iconic family businesses to close and having a devastating impact on jobs in our state,” said the governor in March. “The loss of these jobs and processors will threaten the livelihoods of commercial crabbers and watermen, and jeopardize our $355 million seafood industry."

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

You mean to tell me, that I won't see those "iconic" family's crying daily on the news because they can't get cheap foreign workers this year?!

Anonymous said...

Another April Fools Day post!!

Anonymous said...

Nice shirt
Is that a Polo?

Anonymous said...

Pony up the funds to ship day laborers up from tide water VA and down from DE and western shore. Let free market economics solve the issue and kill multiole birds woth 1 stone.

Anonymous said...

Just another way to get more illegals in MD to stay and not return. MD citizens will be paying more taxes for these illegals while we slave to keep our families in a home , food, medical and schools and the seniors struggle even more. Hogan showing his Democrat side again after attempting to show he was a Republican Governor.

Anonymous said...

stupid trump supporters..."we hate brown illegals...but but but...we need more brown illegals so we can make money off of their backs...'murica…"

Anonymous said...

Nothing but anti Trump crap from Hogan and the state.

Anonymous said...

The inconvenient facts speak for themselves. Trump ordered the reduction of these visas. Bad for our local businesses

Anonymous said...

I'm with 5:36 why can't we use the people in this country to assist offer the buses to them and decent pay, offer it to the homeless why do we want immigrants when it's the very last thing we need, think WALL and THINK AMERICANS.