Former President Donald Trump has proposed automatically granting green cards to foreign students who complete their studies at American colleges.
This suggestion, made during an appearance on “The All-In Podcast,” represents a significant departure from the restrictive immigration policies he championed during his time in office and contrasts sharply with his often inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric on the campaign trail.
Trump’s proposal would extend to graduates of two-year, four-year, and doctoral programs, effectively bundling a green card with their diplomas upon graduation.
The podcast, hosted by prominent tech venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, provided a platform for Trump to articulate this new position.
Notably, Palihapitiya recently organized a fundraiser for Trump in San Francisco, underscoring the former president’s growing ties to certain segments of the tech industry.
While the proposal appears to be a softening of Trump’s immigration stance, his campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasizes that thorough screening measures would be implemented.
These checks would aim to exclude individuals with ties to communism, radical Islamism, Hamas, or those harbouring anti-American sentiments. The campaign maintains that only the most highly skilled and thoroughly vetted college graduates should be permitted to remain in the country.
Trump’s broader stance on immigration remains a cornerstone of his 2024 presidential campaign. He has pledged to conduct the largest domestic deportation operation in US history, a promise that stands in stark contrast to recent actions by the Biden administration.
President Biden’s executive action, aimed at allowing certain undocumented spouses and children of US citizens to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country, appears designed to appeal to key Latino voters in battleground states. Trump’s new proposal seems to acknowledge the importance of retaining skilled graduates in the United States.
He argues that forcing top international students from prestigious institutions to return to their home countries after graduation ultimately benefits rival companies overseas, putting American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
This stance represents a notable shift from his previous administration’s efforts to restrict visa programs used by tech firms to bring in skilled foreign workers and the promotion of a “Buy American, Hire American” policy.
The former president’s evolving position on skilled immigration highlights the complex interplay between economic competitiveness and immigration policy. While maintaining a hard line on undocumented immigration and continuing to use inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants in his campaign speeches, Trump appears to be carving out a more nuanced position on highly educated foreign nationals.
This policy shift occurs against the backdrop of ongoing debates about immigration reform and the role of foreign talent in driving American innovation and economic growth.
