Donald Trump’s Vineyard Applies for Visas to Hire Foreign Workers

A vineyard, which president-elect Donald Trump in May said he “owned,” applied for visas to hire foreign workers, the Department of Labor revealed Wednesday. Throughout his campaign and even after his election, Trump has said he plans to create jobs for American workers.

A petition from Trump Vineyard Estates LLC. filed on Dec. 2 asks for six H2 visas. (The H2 visa allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs.) The Virginia vineyard seeks to hire workers from January to June. Workers will get paid $10.72 per hour for 40 hours worked Monday through Saturday.

According to the winery’s website, Trump’s son Eric is the owner: “registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their affiliates.” However, Donald Trump said about the winery: “I own it 100 percent, no mortgage, no debt.”

In an address to the nation last month, Trump reiterated he would create jobs for Americans: "Whether it's producing steel, building cars, or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here on our great homeland, America, creating wealth and jobs for American workers.”

Trump’s hypocritical actions with regard to labor for his companies have been called out before, like the Trump menswear line being made in Mexico. At the time, Trump had just called Mexican immigrants “criminals” and “rapists.” He would later say he would “take the country back” by deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.