Trump Winery fires 7 workers over lack of legal immigration status: report

Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Va., fired at least seven undocumented employees on Monday, according to The Washington Post, citing two of the workers.

The Trump Organization dismissed several undocumented greenskeepers and cooks at Trump properties 11 months ago, but the winery firings came after the completion of the winery’s annual grape harvest, the Post reported Tuesday.

Omar Miranda, a tractor driver from Honduras who was fired on Monday, speculated that the dismissals were purposely timed for immediately after the completion of the annual harvest so that the company could take advantage of their labor as long as possible. A second worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed the same belief to the Post. Both workers had been employed at the location for more than a decade, the newspaper reported.

“They didn’t make this decision in the summer because they needed us a lot then,” Miranda said, with the other employee adding, “I think they wanted to get their product out well, the grapes, to make sure that was taken care of, and once things were slow, they could fire us all.”

The winery for years has been staffed with immigrants, predominantly from Mexico, who come legally on seasonal work visas. But the staff also included a smaller group of undocumented, year-round workers, who were fired on Monday, according to the Post.

“Donald Trump has known about these workers for months,” Anibal Romero, an immigration lawyer who has represented several undocumented workers fired from Trump properties and is advising Miranda, told the Post.

“He waits until the fields are tended, grapes picked, wine made. He then discards them like a used paper bag. Happy New Year. You’re fired,” Romero added.

The Post said the Trump Organization did not respond to questions about the firings.

The Hill has reached out to Trump Winery for comment.