Trump's Organization Sought to Hire Nearly 200 Workers on Work Permits in 2025
Donald Trump’s family business accelerated its recruitment of overseas employees on short-term work permits this year, even as his administration was creating barriers for other companies wanting to do the same, an analysis released recently claimed.
Based on data from the US Department of Labor, the business aimed to hire at least nearly 200 overseas employees in the coming year for temporary positions at the former president’s Florida property, golf facilities and his Virginia winery.
The number of applications for H-2A and H-2B visas for workers including waitstaff, clerks, cleaning staff, culinary employees and farm workers was the highest ever filed by the company, and increased from over 120 in 2021, when his presidency concluded.
It was also the fifth time in 10 years that Trump had attempted to hire more than 100 overseas workers for temporary positions at Mar-a-Lago, according to available data.
The disclosure comes amid a tightening on immigration laws by his government that has involved the introduction of a substantial charge on skilled worker visas; extra scrutiny of the actions of the millions of people who already hold US visas; and tighter regulations for foreign students and reporters.
Overall, the Trump Organization aimed to hire over 560 overseas workers over the five years Trump has been in the White House, from his first term and during 2025.
Notably, the former president was criticized by some in the GOP this week for comments justifying the need for overseas employees when a business was unable to find people with “specific talents” to occupy certain positions.
“You cannot just say a nation is entering, going to invest $10bn to build a plant, and going to recruit individuals off an jobless roster who haven’t worked in five years, and they’re going to start making their defense systems. It isn’t feasible that well,” he told a host after it was implied that overseas employees undercut the pay of US workers.
The administration declined a request for response, and the Trump Organization did not provide an answer to an inquiry.
