Former US President Donald Trump has made a bold pledge to award automatic green cards to international students who graduate from American colleges, aiming to keep them in the US rather than letting them return to their home countries, like India and China, where “they become multibillionaires.”
Trump expressed his plan during the ‘All-In’ podcast, saying, “What I plan and will do is this — if you graduate from a college, I believe you should automatically receive a Green Card with your diploma. This should apply to universities and junior colleges alike.”
This pronouncement marks a noticeable shift from Trump’s previous stances on immigration. Historically, Trump has made claims that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” and has vowed to execute the biggest deportation operation in US history if re-elected.
The announcement has ignited varied reactions online. A user on X commented, “Populist Trump is at it again! So now, any illegal immigrant can just graduate from Phoenix University and instantly get a Green Card! Watch how Trump flip-flops on immigration, and MAGA will just go along with it!”
Conversely, Frank DeScushin, a Republican supporter, contended, “Granting any foreign student who graduates from a US college a green card, including those from two-year colleges, will only boost the influx and permanence of immigrants in the US, intensifying the competition for college admissions for American students.”
However, Trump’s promise does bring up concerns about its viability and alignment with his prior policies. Trump made similar assurances in 2016, yet pursued a contrary direction as president by enacting policies to restrict legal immigration.
Trump has criticized the H-1B visa as ‘very bad.’
While in office, Trump moved to restrict legal immigration pathways, including family-based visas and the visa lottery program and issued the “Buy American and Hire American” executive order.
During the pandemic, he further tightened legal immigration restrictions. He even proposed suspending all immigration to the United States, including deporting international students if they failed to attend in-person classes. A month before the 2020 election, Trump sought to limit the H-1B visa program further.
Although Trump’s recent proposal might seem advantageous for many immigrants, including highly skilled professionals from India, it could be perceived more as a tactical move to attract support from immigrant communities ahead of the election rather than a genuine shift in ideology. His history of making ambitious campaign promises, some of which have failed to come to fruition, indicates a complex and sometimes contradictory stance on immigration reform.