Trump's Business Sought to Bring In Almost 200 Workers on Work Permits in 2025

The former president’s family business increased its hiring of foreign workers on short-term work permits this period, while his government was placing obstacles for other businesses wanting to do the same, an analysis released Thursday stated.

According to data from the federal labor department, the Trump Organization sought to bring in at least 184 overseas employees in 2025 for temporary positions at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, golf facilities and his Virginia winery.

The number of applications for H-2A and H-2B visas covering workers including servers, office assistants, housekeepers, culinary employees and agricultural laborers was the record submitted by the organization, and up from over 120 in 2021, when his presidency ended.

It was also the fifth instance in a decade that Trump had attempted to hire more than 100 foreign employees for temporary positions at Mar-a-Lago, according to available data.

The disclosure coincides with a tightening on immigration laws by his administration that has included the introduction of a substantial charge on H1-B visas; increased review of the actions of the millions of people who possess US visas; and tighter regulations for foreign students and journalists.

Overall, the business sought to hire 566 overseas workers over the period Trump has been in the White House, from his first term and during the upcoming year.

Significantly, Trump was questioned by some in the Republican party this week for remarks defending the necessity for foreign workers when a company was unable to find people with “specific talents” to occupy particular roles.

“You cannot just say a country is entering, going to spend $10bn to build a plant, and going to take people off an unemployment line who have been unemployed in years, and they’re going to start making their defense systems. It isn’t feasible that well,” he told a host after she suggested that overseas employees lower the pay of US workers.

The White House declined a inquiry for response, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an inquiry.