Mar-A-Lago Sought 380 Foreign Workers During Time Trump Had Access To Classified Documents

ar-a-Lago looked to employ 380 short-term foreign workers from 2017 to 2022, when Trump had access to classified documents, initially as president and ultimately as a former official living at the club. Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 37 charges stemming from his retention of government documents, including 102 the FBI allegedly found when they raided Mar-a-Lago in August 2022. According to the indictment, Trump stored classified documents in the ballroom, a bathroom, his bedroom, a storage room and his office. It’s unclear who exactly could get inside those areas, but it would stand to reason that some Mar-a-Lago staff could access them. Mar-a-Lago relies on foreign nationals to work as servers, cooks and housekeepers. In 2016, the club sought 65 foreign workers. The figure has increased every year since, with the exception of 2020, when the club shut down in the early days of the pandemic and furloughed more than 150 employees. Last winter, Mar-a-Lago sought out 91 foreign workers, according to records filed with the Department of Labor. The requirements listed on the job orders do not seem particularly strict. For example, the qualifications to be a housekeeper during the 2021 to 2022 season included three months of verifiable housekeeping experience and a drug and background check. The position also required the ability to communicate in English, maintain flexible hours and move 25 pounds. It paid $11.70 an hour. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services’ guidelines allow U.S. employers to hire short-term, non-permanent foreign workers if “there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified and available to do the temporary work.” Foreign nationals from 87 countries are eligible to apply for these jobs via the federal government’s H-2B visa program. Businesses must petition the Department of Labor for permission to hire these workers, listing the number of vacancies they are looking to fill. If Mar-a-Lago’s reliance on foreign workers seems at odds with Trump’s immigration policy, it’s not. While his White House tried to prevent employers from relying on foreign workers, it targeted permanent employees—not the temporary ones Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties hire. Representatives of the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.