Former President Donald Trump expressed interest in granting permanent residence cards (Green Cards) to international students who graduate from American universities.
on the podcast The All-In Podcast On Thursday, Trump stated: “What I want to do, and what I will do, is that upon graduating from a university, as part of the diploma, you should automatically obtain a permanent resident card to be able to remain in this country.”
That measure would not only apply to graduates of four-year universities, Trump clarified.
“It also includes university colleges. Anyone who graduates from a university, since they spend two or four years there. “If you graduate or get a doctorate from a university, you should be able to stay in this country.”
The former president made the comment after one of the podcast hosts, investor Jason Calacanis, asked him: “Can you promise us that you will give us more ability to import the best and brightest from around the world into the United States?”
Trump expressed frustration at how some American graduates leave the country and start companies in China or India because they can’t get a visa to stay.
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“You need a group of people who work for companies and they have to be smart people… You need brilliant people and we force the bright people, the people who graduated from college, the people who are number one in their class of the best universities. “You have to be able to recruit those people and retain them.”
Even so, conditions would be established to examine future graduates.
Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told CNN that graduates would be vetted “to exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, haters of America, and public office holders.” People holding public office would be highly dependent on the government for financial assistance.
He also explained: “He believes that only after that research has been conducted should we be left with the most qualified graduates who can make significant contributions to the United States. “It would only apply to college graduates who have been most thoroughly vetted and would never undercut American wages or workers.”
The policy marks a shift in Trump’s immigration agenda, which up to this point has largely consisted of ways to deport record numbers of immigrants from the United States.
During his first term, Trump put the spotlight on visa programs used by technology companies to hire foreign workers. Instead, he instructed federal agencies to use the “Buy American, Hire American” strategy. At one point, he went so far as to ban travel from seven Muslim-majority countries while in office, in an effort to limit refugee resettlement.
President Joe Biden has also taken surprising steps in his immigration policy, such as limiting asylum processing at the US border. However, this week he signed into law an executive action that allows certain undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residency without leaving the country.
The announcement of such policies comes at a time when both candidates are trying to win over voters ahead of the November 2024 presidential election.
