Trump: A Wall For Thee, Illegal Workers For Me

Unsurprisingly, as something neither Trump supporters (the entire GOP) nor Democrats wanted to talk about, it was only a one-day story.  Still, it was notable that on Sunday's Face The Nation, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller (not this Steve Miller) vigorously defended Donald Trump's dream of a border wall with Mexico.

After Miller stated "we're going to do whatever is necessary to build the border wall, to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration" and asked a follow-up question, he responded

This is a very fundamental issue. At stake is the question of whether or not the United States remains a sovereign country, whether or not we can establish and enforce rules for entrance into our country.

The Democrat Party has a simple choice. They can either choose to fight for America's working class or to promote illegal immigration. You can't do both.

While Miller is trying to convince the country that fighting for America's working class requires a wall, he might want to persuade the president he works for. Twelve days ago we learned

During more than five years as a housekeeper at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Victorina Morales has made Donald J. Trump’s bed, cleaned his toilet and dusted his crystal golf trophies. When he visited as president, she was directed to wear a pin in the shape of the American flag adorned with a Secret Service logo.

Because of the “outstanding” support she has provided during Mr. Trump’s visits, Ms. Morales in July was given a certificate from the White House Communications Agency inscribed with her name.

Quite an achievement for an undocumented immigrant housekeeper.

Ms. Morales’s journey from cultivating corn in rural Guatemala to fluffing pillows at an exclusive golf resort took her from the southwest border, where she said she crossed illegally in 1999, to the horse country of New Jersey, where she was hired at the Trump property in 2013 with documents she said were phony.

She said she was not the only worker at the club who was in the country illegally....

“There are many people without papers,” said Ms. Diaz, who said she witnessed several people being hired whom she knew to be undocumented.

Whatever Donald Trump's level of knowledge about the illegal immigrants working at his club- and there is no hard evidence that Trump, a notorious micro-manager, was aware- there is no reason to believe he would have objected. In July, Miami Herald columnist Fabiola Santiago wrote

... it’s not surprising that his posh Palm Beach estate and private resort club, Mar-a-Lago, is asking the Labor Department to grant Trump 61 foreign worker visas — six more than requested last year.

Amid the scandals that constantly surround Trump, the request might seem insignificant news. But, coming from immigrant-bashing "America First" Trump, it takes the cake in the hypocrisy department.

Under the H-2B visa program for seasonal, non-agricultural workers, employers must prove that they can’t find Americans to fill the jobs. Are there not enough cooks, servers and housekeepers in South Florida to staff Trump’s "Winter White House?"

Hard to believe, but then again, the Trump organization makes the minimal effort required to prove to the government that it can’t find U.S.-based employees.

As anyone who has tried can attest, all you have to do is ask for recommendations on Facebook — and a flood of candidates turn up.

Tourism being our No. 1 industry, Florida is hospitality haven, with a slew of programs at universities and colleges churning out skilled graduates. In addition, the state is home to a healthy, hard-working and young immigrant population eager to make a decent living cooking, waitressing and housekeeping — even if it’s seasonal, lower skilled employment.

Add to this the displaced and unemployed people from Puerto Rico post Hurricane Maria, and how can the Labor Department justify Trump’s foreign hires?

The Labor Department doesn't have to justify Trump's foreign hires.  Democrats, fearful of even a remote possibility of appearing anti-immigrant, would not strenuously complain. And neither will Republicans, who are in the pocket of Donald J. Trump. There is no downside except for the American worker, never a high priority for Stephen Miller's boss.

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