Keep in mind, this is the H2B visa, not the H1B visa.
With all this anti visa environment, why is Trump expanding any visa quota?

This is what it is:
The H-2B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign nationals for temporary, non-agricultural, seasonal, or peak-load work. It requires certification from the Department of Labor (DOL) proving no qualified U.S. workers are available. Key requirements include offering prevailing wages, a temporary need (usually < 1 year), and filing Form I-129. The cap is currently expanding, with potential for up to 65,000 additional visas in 2026. Eligible Occupations: Non-agricultural jobs like landscaping, hospitality, construction, forestry, and seafood processing.


Trump Officials Move to Double Number of H-2B Guest Visas This Year
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/politics/h2b-visas.html

Quote:

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It was a rare move by the Trump administration to expand a foreign worker program, amid a sweeping effort to drastically cut immigration.

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Quote:

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The Trump administration has 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.

President Trump has broadly moved to drastically cut legal avenues of immigration, and he has directed a mass deportation campaign that has brought aggressive ICE crackdowns to American cities. Another visa for skilled workers through another program, known as the H-1B, has been imperiled by the Trump administration imposing a $100,000 fee for applicants to the program.

But Mr. Trump has endured backlash from his base for voicing his support for H-1Bs. And the move to issue tens of thousands of additional H-2B guest worker visas reflects Mr. Trump's unusual sensitivity to American businesses, many of which have been negatively impacted by his tariff policies, that insist that they need seasonal foreign workers to stay afloat.

The president has himself been a frequent and longtime user of the H-2B program for jobs like cooks, housekeepers and waiters at his properties. His companies continued to hire H-2 workers during his first presidential term, including at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, in Palm Beach, Fla.

Agencies have routinely authorized additional worker visas under the H-2B program once they receive more applications than the statutory maximum of 66,000 visas in a year. But employers could not as easily count on supplemental visas being issued since Mr. Trump returned to office last year, and lobbying groups pushed the president to move more quickly this year to issue more visas.

"The American economy depends on a reliable, legal, and timely workforce to keep essential industries running," the National Association of Landscape Professionals said in a statement in December that called for the release of more visas, adding that seasonal industries, like landscaping, construction and hospitality "are facing severe labor shortages that threaten their ability to operate at full capacity."

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Look at the occupations. This is for the illegals they are finding who haven't broken the law since crossing the border and working in certain industries. Also, many of these jobs aren't likely to be filled by citizens.

If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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In some businesses if you don't you won't be in business. Either the law is enforced and prices go up or do what you have to do.

I worked for major national landcape maint. company after college. They used a lot of H2B workers, top 2 or 3 in the country if I remember correctly. Basically we didnt need 40%(ish) of the field crews during the months of October through February, so they would hire crews out of Mexico for the 7 monts of the year we cut grass every week. Then those guys went home. Citizens obviously aren't interest in loosing their jobs every fall. That is what the program is meant to be, but that was 20+ years ago. I am sure it is being abused now.

WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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This can't be starred enough.

It could be improved and cheating could be cracked down on, but I'm a huge fan of H2B. 1. If ANY American applies that could possible do the job you have to hire them first. 2. The guest worker comes here for a portion of the year, does not bring their family, and has to go back home each year. 3. Anyone who overstays or violates it gets kicked out of the program.

All wage offers should have to be at least double the prevailing wage. The financial incentive should always be to hire local first.

ts5641 said:

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WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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This can't be starred enough.

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Already starred too much. I guess we need more good 'ol American seasonal workers that can work part of the year and collect unemployment the rest.

B-1 83 said:

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ts5641 said:

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WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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This can't be starred enough.

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Already starred too much. I guess we need more good 'ol American seasonal workers that can work part of the year and collect unemployment the rest.

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I immediately thought of the people on deadliest catch and ice road truckers

ETA can those guys even draw unemployment when they rake in seasonal cash?

BenFiasco14 said:

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B-1 83 said:

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ts5641 said:

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WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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This can't be starred enough.

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Already starred too much. I guess we need more good 'ol American seasonal workers that can work part of the year and collect unemployment the rest.

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I immediately thought of the people on deadliest catch and ice road truckers

ETA can those guys even draw unemployment when they rake in seasonal cash?

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I would suspect their seasonal haul is a bit better than the guy operating a weed eater all summer.

Makes way more sense than the H1B program. I would still prefer to kill this one as well though and then kill entitlements and force citizens back to work when they can't get free food anymore. Usually a pretty good incentive to get someone back to work.

I'm pretty okay with this. At least they aren't complete unknown randos working under the table.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Many of the jobs aren't likely to be filled by citizens with relatively lavish layered welfare and public assistance that is completely non-productive and makes them useless feeders.

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100%. Low wage jobs are often competing with the welfare state. Why work for $30k/year when you can sit at home and collect 30k in food stamps, welfare and free housing?

Yesterday said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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Many of the jobs aren't likely to be filled by citizens with relatively lavish layered welfare and public assistance that is completely non-productive and makes them useless feeders.

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100%. Low wage jobs are often competing with the welfare state. Why work for $30k/year when you can sit at home and collect 30k in food stamps, welfare and free housing?

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Until we get entitlement reform, which will never, ever happen, then the H2B program is essentially necessary and I understand why we are expanding it. Our native population TFR is under replacement rate and most of them are too rich and too good for these jobs.

So here we are.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Many of the jobs aren't likely to be filled by citizens with relatively lavish layered welfare and public assistance that is completely non-productive and makes them useless feeders.

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Yep. Rarely (never) have I driven by a house under construction that I have not been serenaded by Tejano music.

Essentially, H2B's are for building our homes, keep our yards looking nice and our hotel rooms clean when we travel. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

If they aren't voting, aren't committing crimes, and not cannibalizing citizen resources then I have no issue with this. However, I'm not sure anyone can show me these three things are not happening.

DG96 said:

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WaltonAg18 said:

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If you're an American company that can't afford to hire American workers, you shouldn't be in business. Reliance on outside actors to keep your margins afloat should not be tolerated as an excuse to continue letting bad actors have a simple avenue into the country.

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In some businesses if you don't you won't be in business. Either the law is enforced and prices go up or do what you have to do.

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Prices going up is not a bad thing, it is just capitalism.
That is why I say many so called conservatives are fake capitalists. They are just grifters who want to make money, no different than stealing/cheating.

In real capitalism, prices go up and down based on demand and supply.
The fake capitalists (all large CEOs) hate capitalism and want to engineering abundant supply of labor hence killing the push and pull of capitalism.

JW said:

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All wage offers should have to be at least double the prevailing wage. The financial incentive should always be to hire local first.

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Fake conservatives hate you. And me.