Former President Donald Trump has announced his intention to grant green cards to foreign graduates of US colleges. This announcement was made during an All-In podcast episode released on Thursday.
Trump’s proposal comes in response to President Joe Biden’s recent initiatives, which include a pathway to citizenship for immigrants married to US nationals and measures to ease visa restrictions for certain groups. Immigration has been a pivotal issue in the political landscape, and Trump’s latest remarks signal a potential pivot in his approach.
“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma a green card to be able to stay in this country,” Trump stated on the podcast. A green card, formally known as a permanent resident card, is a crucial step toward US citizenship.
Trump emphasized that this policy would apply to all graduates, including those from two-year junior colleges and doctoral programs. He expressed his commitment to attracting and retaining the “best and the brightest” talent from around the world, promising to implement this policy if elected.
Reflecting on the current challenges faced by foreign graduates, Trump shared, “I know of stories where people graduated from a top college, or from a college, and they desperately want to stay here… and they can’t. They go back to India, they go back to China. They do the same basic company in those places and they become multi-billionaires employing thousands and thousands of people.”
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Trump also highlighted the needs of US companies for highly skilled individuals, noting, “They can’t even make a deal with a company because they don’t think they’re going to be able to stay in the country. That is going to end on day one.”
This position marks a stark contrast to Trump’s immigration policies during his presidency from 2017 to 2021, which included the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border and a travel ban affecting several predominantly Muslim countries.
Trump’s comments follow President Biden’s announcement on Tuesday of relaxed visa rules for approximately half a million spouses of US nationals, facilitating their path to citizenship. Biden also simplified the process for “Dreamers” — migrants who came to the United States illegally as children — to obtain work visas if they have graduated from college and secured high-skilled job offers.
The evolving immigration policies highlight the ongoing debate between the two political camps, with Biden often accused by Republicans of being too lenient on immigration. Earlier in June, Biden signed an executive order to bar migrants who enter the United States illegally from claiming asylum if the number of crossings exceeds 2,500 in a day.
Trump’s latest remarks suggest a potential recalibration of his immigration policies, focusing on retaining skilled talent to bolster the US economy. This development will likely influence the broader discourse on immigration as the political landscape continues to evolve.
