Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in a podcast released on Thursday, expressed support for granting green cards to students graduating from US colleges, a departure from his usual tough stance on immigration.
During the All-In podcast hosted by Silicon Valley investor Jason Calacanis, who highlighted the tech industry’s need for more high-skilled workers, Trump was urged to enable easier retention of talented individuals in the US.
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“I do promise,” Trump responded. “If you graduate from a college, I believe you should automatically receive a green card as part of your diploma, including from junior colleges.”
A green card, formally known as a permanent resident card, provides holders the right to live and work permanently in the US and is a step towards citizenship.
It wasn’t specified if Trump’s proposal extended to all foreigners, including those who are undocumented or overstayed their visas, or solely to those on student visas.
In response, the Trump campaign clarified that only after rigorous vetting would “the most skilled graduates who can significantly contribute to America” be eligible to stay.
Critics, like Aaron Reichlin-Melnick from the American Immigration Council, were skeptical of Trump’s stance, pointing to his administration’s prior policies that restricted student visas and made it harder for graduates to remain in the US.
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump’s administration sought to limit skilled foreign workers’ use of H-1B visas and attempted to force foreign students to leave the country if their schools moved classes online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before rescinding the order amid backlash.
Trump, running for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden, has vowed stringent measures against illegal immigration and criticized Biden’s handling of the issue.
