The Trump Organization and the Hiring of Undocumented Workers: A Study in Contradiction

 

Donald Trump built much of his political identity around a hardline stance on illegal immigration, often calling for mass deportations, strict border enforcement, and penalties for employers who hired undocumented immigrants. However, investigations and first-hand accounts have revealed that the Trump Organization—his business empire—repeatedly employed undocumented labor across several properties, highlighting a stark contradiction between Trump’s public rhetoric and private business practices.


One of the most widely publicized examples occurred at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. In December 2018, former employees Victorina Morales and Sandra Diaz came forward, stating that they had worked at the club for years using false documents. Morales even claimed that her supervisors knew of her immigration status and helped her obtain forged papers (Stracqualursi). These allegations were supported by documentation such as W-2 forms and pay stubs, and were later corroborated by investigative reports from CNN and The New York Times (Fahrenthold and Partlow).


Similarly, Trump Winery in Virginia drew attention in 2019 when at least seven undocumented laborers were fired immediately after completing the harvest season. According to their lawyer, this followed a pattern across Trump-affiliated businesses: hiring undocumented workers for labor-intensive jobs and then terminating them when scrutiny increased (American Press). The timing suggested that the firings were motivated more by political optics than by any newfound commitment to lawful hiring practices.


The use of undocumented labor by Trump-affiliated entities is not a recent phenomenon. In the early 1980s, nearly 200 undocumented Polish workers were hired to demolish the Bonwit Teller building to make way for Trump Tower in Manhattan. These workers were underpaid and worked in unsafe conditions, leading to a class-action lawsuit that was eventually settled in 1999 for about $1.4 million (Anbinder).


Additional cases occurred during the renovation of the Old Post Office building into the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., where reports surfaced that some subcontractors had employed undocumented workers (Condon). The consistent presence of undocumented workers across multiple projects and properties suggests a pattern rather than isolated incidents.


In response to growing criticism and media coverage, the Trump Organization began to implement E-Verify, a federal system that checks employment eligibility, across its properties (Stewart). However, critics argue that this shift came only after the exposure of long-standing practices that were at odds with Trump’s public image as an immigration hardliner.


The apparent hypocrisy caught the attention of lawmakers as well. In March 2019, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus called for a federal investigation into the Trump Organization, stating that the hiring of undocumented workers was likely “systematic” and potentially criminal, especially given the accusations that supervisors aided in the falsification of immigration documents (Fahrenthold and Partlow).


In summary, while Donald Trump’s administration pursued aggressive policies to curb illegal immigration, evidence indicates that his own businesses regularly employed undocumented workers. This contradiction raises important ethical and political questions about leadership, integrity, and the use of immigration as a political tool. As history often reveals, actions speak louder than campaign slogans, and the Trump Organization's labor practices present a sobering example of this truth.


Works Cited


American Press. “Trump Winery Fires Seven Undocumented Workers Right After Grueling Harvest Season.” GQ, www.gq.com/story/trump-winery-fires-undocumented-workers. Accessed 8 June 2025.


Anbinder, Mark. “Report: Trump construction firm uses undocumented workers.” Construction Dive, 12 Aug. 2019, www.constructiondive.com.


Condon, Bernard. “Trump Resort Hired Undocumented Workers: Lawyer.” NBC Chicago, 7 Dec. 2018, www.nbcchicago.com.


Fahrenthold, David A., and Joshua Partlow. “5 Questions about President Trump’s Use of Undocumented Workers.” The Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com.


Stewart, Ian. “Trump Golf Club Allegedly Employed Undocumented Immigrants.” NPR, 7 Dec. 2018, www.npr.org.


Stracqualursi, Veronica. “New York Times: Trump’s Bedminster Club Hired Undocumented Immigrants.” CNN Politics, 6 Dec. 2018, www.cnn.com.

American Press. “Trump Winery Fires Seven Undocumented Workers Right After Grueling Harvest Season.” GQ, [date not provided].


“Houses, Letters, and Records of Former Trump Organization Employees.” Library of Congress, accessed 8 June 2025.


News Stories:

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/06/politics/trump-bedminster-club-undocumented-workers/index.html


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-organization-fires-more-undocumented-workers-2019-12-31/


https://www.gq.com/story/trump-winery-fires-undocumented-workers


https://ballotpedia.org/Foreign_workers_at_Trump_entities%2C_2016


https://ballotpedia.org/Foreign_workers_at_Trump_entities%2C_2016


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/5-questions-about-president-trumps-use-of-undocumented-workers/2019/12/04/29439928-16a2-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

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