Former President Donald Trump has pledged to automatically grant green cards to foreign graduates of U.S. colleges if he is re-elected.
This marks an unexpected shift from the Republican leader known for his stringent immigration policies, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after President Joe Biden announced a Green Card pathway for immigrants married to U.S. nationals, balancing his recent measures against illegal border crossings.
A green card allows individuals to live and work permanently in the U.S. and serves as a pathway to citizenship.
In a podcast interview with Silicon Valley tech investors on Thursday, Trump vowed to simplify the process for bringing talent to the U.S., asserting that anyone who graduates from a U.S. college should be allowed to remain in the country.
“It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also.
“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 told the All-In podcast.
The former president stated that this should encompass “anybody who graduates from a college,” including those who complete two-year programs at junior colleges as well as those who earn doctoral degrees.
READ ALSO: Trump Campaign Gets $50m Boost from Single Donor
When asked if he would help import the “best and the brightest around the world to America,” Trump replied, “I do promise.”
“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,” Trump said.
He also emphasized that US companies need “smart people,” adding, “They can’t even make a deal with a company because they don’t think they’ll be able to stay in the country.” He vowed, “That is going to end on day one.”
Trump’s proposal, which could result in hundreds of thousands of new citizenship applications each year, represents a significant shift from his stringent immigration policies that fueled his rise in the Republican Party.
Trump, who once claimed migrants were “poisoning the blood of our country,” has promised the largest deportation of undocumented migrants in US history if reelected in November. He has consistently criticized his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, for being lenient on immigration.
During Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, he ordered the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border and implemented a travel ban on individuals from predominantly Muslim countries.
His remarks came after his Democratic opponent, Biden, on Tuesday relaxed visa rules for about half a million spouses of US nationals, making it easier for them to obtain citizenship.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
