Rep. Andy Harris presents a striking contradiction in American politics.
On Capitol Hill, the Maryland Republican stands as one of President Donald Trump’s most steadfast advocates for aggressive immigration enforcement. But on the shore of Maryland, Politico reported, he is celebrated as a champion for securing foreign labor that sustains the region’s commercial seafood industry.
Chairing both the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and the agricultural appropriations subcommittee, Harris has wielded considerable influence to lobby the Trump administration for expanded temporary foreign worker programs. This year, he successfully convinced the White House to maximize H-2B visa allocations, securing approximately 65,000 positions — roughly 30,000 more than initially announced, according to the report.
The expansion directly benefits seafood producers in his district who depend on Mexican workers to hand-pick blue crab meat.
“I’ve been in long enough to know how to get things done, and we got it done,” Harris told crab company owner Jack Brooks during a recent facility visit, Politico reported.
Harris now plans to guarantee longtime H-2B employers receive positions regardless of annual lottery outcomes through proposed “certified employer” language in upcoming DHS funding legislation.
Harris frames this apparent contradiction as consistent policy rather than hypocrisy, according to Politico.
The son of Central European immigrants, he distinguishes between illegal immigration — which he opposes forcefully — and regulated temporary foreign worker programs.
“This is not an immigration issue — this is a temporary foreign worker issue,” he said. “Once we control the uncontrolled border crossing, let’s talk about how we can bring a foreign workforce in to boost the economy where it needs to be boosted.”
This position reflects a broader Republican tension over Trump’s “America First” agenda. Should it mean strictly limiting all foreign entry, or strategically utilizing regulated labor to support economic growth? The Trump administration has typically resisted issuing maximum H-2B visas under its “Buy American, Hire American” framework. Harris’s successful lobbying effort this year, following the termination of work documents for 1.3 million undocumented immigrants, suggests some flexibility within the administration.
The H-2B program targets nonagricultural seasonal positions including landscaping, construction, and crab processing — distinct from farmworker visas. Harris additionally advocates a “buy American” mandate for SNAP food assistance, arguing that ensuring domestically produced food purchases necessitates domestic workers.
Daniel Costa, director at the Economic Policy Institute, identifies Harris as “the ringleader” driving temporary foreign worker expansion. While not paradoxical, Costa notes the stance conflicts with Stephen Miller’s MAGA vision — echoing previous Republican fractures when Elon Musk pressured Trump to expand high-skilled visa programs.
Harris’s advocacy addresses urgent needs on Maryland’s shore, Politico wrote. Seafood processors have struggled for decades filling workforce gaps. Beginning in the mid-1990s, local crab pickers transitioned to manufacturing, forcing regional businesses toward foreign labor. More than 50 crab producers once operated locally; fewer than a dozen remain. Those avoiding foreign workers or experiencing visa lottery misfortune closed operations.
Lindy’s Seafood owner Aubrey Vincent described the uncertainty candidly. “It’s a scary thing to go through, when every year is kind of tossing the dice,” he said.
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