Just over a year after signing his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort (his “Winter White House” as he terms it) has filed a request to hire foreign workers – again.
According to the Labor Department, the resort has filed for permission to hire 61 immigrants as waiters and cooks for the 2018 winter season (October to May). The workers’ H-2B visas would expire at the end of the term, and they would be required to return home.
Here’s how it works: In order to obtain H-2B visas, employers must prove that there are not enough Americans “able, willing, qualified, and available” to do the work. However, last year, Mar-a-Lago apparently did not make much of an effort to find American workers. According to the Washington Post, the resort only placed two classified ads. They were hard to find and in small print; there was contact information, but job seekers could only apply by fax or U.S. mail. Furthermore, the ads were only posted after Mar-a-Lago asked the Labor Department for permission to hire from abroad. However, a nonprofit placement agency said it had a database of 5,136 qualified candidates for “various hospitality positions.”
That practice contradicts the Trump administration’s America-first economic policies, and it isn’t the first time. Reports have shown that since announcing his candidacy for president in June 2015, properties bearing Trump’s name have employed nearly 500 workers under the H-2B program, with the Mar-a-Lago Club alone accounting for more than half of those workers. However, since 2010, nearly 300 U.S. residents have applied or were referred for jobs as wait staff, cooks, and housekeepers at Mar-a-Lago, yet only 17 have been hired, according to reports.
Does anyone really think Mar-a-Lago cannot find a bartender in Palm Beach? They just want to avoid paying higher wages. The use of temporary foreign workers not only means lower wages but savings on raises and benefits.
While the U.S. visa system is legal, our hypocritical president takes advantage of the very immigrants he so frequently denigrates in order to boost his own bottom line. Furthermore, just like what is happening to immigrants at the borders, these workers are basically being held captive. Since the visas are tied to a particular job, the foreigner workers have no opportunities to seek better employment once they arrive. They must either work for the employer assigned under the visa or they are sent back home.
Hillary Clinton said during the campaign that Trump ties were made in China, not Colorado, Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio and Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin.
Despite the president’s mantra to “buy American and hire American” the Trump family retains major business operations overseas, and the Trump Organization continues to manufacture most Trump products in foreign factories. Although Trump has enacted tariffs on Chinese goods, it won’t touch Ivanka’s foreign-made products for her fashion line. If the president truly wants to help ‘make America great again,’ he might consider creating jobs with his businesses here in America rather than overseas. Why not make these products here in America using American workers, rather than overseas, with cheap foreign labor?
Why should we be surprised that he continues this duplicity at Mar-a-Lago? In everything he does, the president puts the interests of Trump and not America, first. That is who he is-he’s a narcissist-he can’t help himself. That is who we elected. Shame on us.
Experienced attorney, lawsuit funding expert, certified civil mediator, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series. The series features super-trial lawyer Zachary Blake handling "ripped from the headlines" legal and political issues of the day. The series currently consists of Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, and Betrayal High, with a sixth Zachary Blake novel due out later this year. To learn more about these topical social justice legal thrillers. please visit markmbello.com. Mark is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, a sustaining member of the Michigan Association for Justice, and a member of the American Association for Justice.
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