Former President Donald Trump’s businesses relied on a significant number of temporary foreign workers in 2023, according to records from the Department of Labor. Trump’s properties, including Mar-a-Lago, two golf clubs, and a Virginia winery, sought to hire a total of 170 foreign workers last year. Over the past 16 years, Trump’s businesses have looked to employ at least 1,670 temporary foreign workers, with 382 being sought during his time in the White House.
Despite Trump’s hard-line stance on immigration, he has been more accommodating of temporary foreign workers, a fact reflected in his companies’ hiring practices. While Trump has promoted anti-immigrant rhetoric, including pushing a conspiracy theory about Barack Obama’s citizenship, his business sought to employ temporary foreign workers due to a lack of American workers for certain positions.
The process to bring on temporary foreign workers involves certification from the Department of Labor, permission from the Department of Homeland Security, and visa applications through the State Department for workers from over 85 eligible countries. Trump’s properties have utilized two types of visas, H-2A for agricultural workers and H-2B for non-agricultural workers such as servers and housekeepers.
Trump’s hiring practices have faced scrutiny, with reports of workers at his properties working illegally and national-security concerns arising due to the employment of foreign workers while classified documents were present. Trump was indicted on 37 felony charges related to the retention of government documents, including those allegedly found during an FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
The Trump Organization has not responded to requests for comment on the hiring of temporary foreign workers and the legal issues surrounding classified documents. Despite Trump’s vocal anti-immigrant rhetoric, his businesses have regularly sought to employ temporary foreign workers when facing a lack of American candidates for certain positions. The hiring practices have raised questions about consistency in Trump’s policies and views on immigration.
