Former US President Donald Trump has changed his stance on immigration ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, proposing to grant “automatic green cards” to foreign students who graduate from US universities. In a podcast interview, Trump stressed the need to retain talent in the US and voiced his support for granting green cards as part of the diploma. He stressed the loss of economic potential as highly educated talent return to their home countries, such as India and China, to set up businesses that could thrive in the US.
“What I want to do, what I’m going to do, is if you graduate from college, you should automatically get a green card as part of your diploma. If you have a green card, you can stay in this country. And that includes junior college,” Trump, 78, said on the “All In” podcast.
Donald Trump’s comments came when he was pressed by Calacanis, who asked him to “promise us greater capacity to import the best and the brightest people from around the world into America.”
Trump also lamented “stories of people graduating from top universities and colleges who desperately wanted to stay in this country, who had plans for companies and concepts, and then they can’t, and they go back to India or China and start the same basic companies there.”
“…And they become billion-dollar entrepreneurs employing thousands of people. That could have happened here, too,” he said.
“I have to say it’s really sad to lose talent from Harvard, MIT, top universities, and some of the less well-known but great universities. This is what I wanted to do. But then we had to solve the problem of COVID-19, because as you all know, COVID-19 came along and took over for a while,” Trump responded.
Trump’s comments reflect a shift from his previous anti-immigration rhetoric, as he now focuses on a meritocratic immigration system to attract and retain talented people. He highlighted the plight of high-achieving graduates who struggle to secure U.S. residency despite their academic achievements and potential contributions to the economy.
During his presidency, Donald Trump implemented strict immigration policies, including restrictions on green cards and visa systems aimed at reducing legal immigration. He also targeted the H-1B visa system, which is essential for high-tech companies to hire skilled foreign workers, criticizing it as damaging to the interests of the United States.
The proposal to automatically grant green cards to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates is in line with President Donald Trump’s renewed emphasis on recruiting and retaining top talent.
Trump’s proposal stands in contrast to previous executive orders, which have included a travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries and efforts to restrict legal immigration.
Despite these changes, President Trump’s immigration policies remain controversial, with ongoing debate over their impact on the U.S. economy and workforce.
3.6 Million Indians visited us in a single day and chose us as their platform for Indian general election results. Check out the latest updates here!
