Former President Donald Trump has introduced a new immigration strategy focusing on providing green cards to all noncitizen graduates from U.S. colleges.
In an attempt to retain international talent, Donald Trump's latest immigration proposal includes issuing green cards automatically to foreign college graduates, encouraging them to stay and work in the U.S., ABC News reported.
During a recent event, Trump expressed his intention to simplify the path for college graduates wanting to remain in the country:
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. That includes junior colleges, too.
However, not all graduates would qualify under Trump's plan; an "aggressive vetting process" is proposed to ensure that new green card holders do not undercut American workers or wages. Certain groups, such as those identified as radical Islamists or supporters of Hamas, would be categorically excluded.
Trump's national press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the importance of retaining top talent. "He believes, only after such vetting has taken place, we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America," Leavitt said.
The proposal has not gone without criticism. Kevin Munoz, spokesperson for the Biden campaign, argues that the plan is unrealistic. He said, "Trump's empty promise is both a lie and an insult, especially to the countless people that have been permanently damaged by his first term in office."
Beyond green cards, Trump discussed plans to expand the H-1B visa program, which is popular among tech companies for recruiting international talent. This move is aimed at addressing wider issues in U.S. immigration policy and enhancing the ability of American companies to recruit highly skilled professionals.
The adjustments to immigration policy were disclosed during Trump's appearance on the "All In" podcast and at a public rally in Racine, Wisconsin, outlining a significant departure from his previous hardline immigration stance, which was more focused on stringent controls and deportations.
"Somebody graduates at the top of the class, they can't even make a deal with the company because they don't think they're going to be able to stay in the country. That is going to end on Day 1," Trump declared, signaling a strong shift in policy direction toward favoring skilled immigrants.
Addressing concerns about the loss of brilliant international students due to current policies, Trump lamented, "It's so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools."
He further underscored the necessity of a vibrant talent pool for American enterprises. "You need a pool of people to work for your companies. You have great companies and have to be smart people. Not everybody can be less than smart. You need brilliant people," he observed.
Trump explained, "We're talking about retaining the very best. This isn't just about the numbers but about retaining people who are exceptionally smart—who could be beneficial to our nation." Trump's campaign clarified these points on June 21, 2024, following his detailed discussion on the podcast released a day prior.
To conclude, Trump's innovative immigration proposal aims to transform U.S. immigration policy by providing a direct pathway for noncitizen college graduates to remain in the country. The focus is on retaining stellar international talent by issuing green cards immediately upon graduation, conditional upon the successful completion of a rigorous vetting process to ensure alignment with American labor market standards.
