Trump administration to add nearly 65,000 H-2B guest worker visas through September

The Trump administration said it will issue nearly 65,000 additional H-2B guest worker visas through September, effectively doubling the maximum number that can be issued in a year, the New York Times reported. The move comes as the administration has broadly sought to cut legal avenues of immigration and has directed a mass deportation campaign that brought aggressive ICE crackdowns to American cities, the Times wrote.

The report also noted the administration has imperiled the H-1B program by imposing a $100,000 fee for applicants. The decision to expand H-2B visas reflected pressure from American businesses, the article said, noting many firms say they need seasonal foreign workers to stay afloat after being hurt by the president’s tariff policies.

The Times also reported that Mr. Trump has used the H-2B program for cooks, housekeepers and waiters at his properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., and that his companies continued to hire H-2 workers during his first term. The Times said agencies have routinely authorized supplemental H-2B visas once they receive more applications than the statutory maximum of 66,000, but employers could not as easily count on supplemental visas being issued after Mr.

Trump returned to office last year.

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