Trump Business Attempted to Hire Almost 200 Employees on Work Permits in 2025
Donald Trump’s family business increased its hiring of foreign workers on short-term work permits this year, even as his government was placing obstacles for other businesses attempting to do the same, an analysis released recently claimed.
Based on data from the US Department of Labor, the Trump Organization aimed to bring in at least nearly 200 overseas employees in the coming year for short-term roles at the US president’s Florida property, golf facilities and his Virginia winery.
The number of applications for temporary work visas covering staff including waitstaff, office assistants, cleaning staff, culinary employees and agricultural laborers was the highest ever submitted by the company, and increased from 121 in 2021, when his presidency ended.
It was also the fifth instance in 10 years that the former president had attempted to hire over a hundred foreign employees for seasonal jobs at his Florida resort, based on available data.
The revelation comes amid a crackdown on immigration laws by his administration that has included the implementation of a $100,000 fee on H1-B visas; extra scrutiny of the activities of the 55 million people who already hold US visas; and tighter regulations for foreign students and journalists.
Overall, the business aimed to employ 566 foreign laborers over the period Trump has been in the presidency, from his first term and during 2025.
Significantly, Trump was criticized by certain in the Republican party this period for comments defending the necessity for overseas employees when a company was unable to find people with “particular skills” to fill particular roles.
“You cannot just say a nation is entering, going to invest $10bn to build a plant, and going to take people off an jobless roster who haven’t worked in five years, and they’re going to start producing their defense systems. It doesn’t work that well,” he told a host after she suggested that foreign workers undercut the wages of US workers.
The administration declined a request for comment, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an inquiry.