Companies owned by Donald Trump have reportedly tried to import at least 1,100 foreign workers since 2000.
A Reuters review of Labor Department data found that Trump enterprises have requested temporary work visas for over a thousand foreign workers. The news comes shortly after Trump kicked off his presidential campaign by criticizing Mexicans who try to come into the country undocumented.
{mosads}The desired workers included waitresses, cooks, vineyard workers, as well as positions as assistant golf-course superintendent, assistant hotel manager and banquet manager. Two Trump companies submitted 250 visa requests to bring in foreign fashion models.
Reuters found that most of the visa requests were granted, as Trump himself has vowed to create and protect jobs for American workers.
“I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created,” Trump said when he announced his candidacy as a Republican in June. “I will bring back our jobs from China, Mexico and other places. I will bring back jobs and our money.”
During that kickoff event, Trump set off a round of controversy when he criticized Mexican immigrants trying to come to the U.S.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said in the speech. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
Those comments led to fierce pushback from Latino groups, and some businesses severed their ties with Trump in the aftermath, including NBC, where Trump hosted “The Apprentice” reality show for over a decade.
In a speech in July, Trump drew a distinction between immigrants who come to the U.S. through legal channels and those who try to circumvent the system. He said thousands of legal Mexican immigrants, who he called “incredible people,” have worked for his business empire.
The Labor Department data did not specify the nationality of the immigrants sought by Trump companies, but the visas requested are overwhelmingly used to bring in Mexican workers.
Trump has surged to the top of GOP presidential polls since joining the race.