June 20, 2024 – In a surprising turn, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, proposed granting green cards to students graduating from US colleges. This proposal marks a notable shift from his traditionally hardline stance on immigration.
During a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech investor Jason Calacanis, Trump agreed that the US needs to retain more skilled workers. “You graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card,” Trump stated, extending the proposal to include junior college graduates as well.
Trump’s campaign later clarified that this policy would apply only after “the most aggressive vetting process in US history” to ensure that only the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America would stay.
Activists Remain Skeptical
Despite this shift, immigration activists are not convinced. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, remarked, “I almost have to laugh because his administration adopted multiple policies to restrict student visas and make it harder for people to stay in the country after graduating.”
Indeed, during his presidency, Trump made it more difficult for companies to hire skilled foreign workers on H-1B visas and attempted to force foreign students to leave the country during the COVID-19 pandemic if their schools transitioned to online classes, a decision he later reversed due to legal challenges and opposition.
As Trump’s campaign navigates this new policy proposal, the debate over immigration reform is sure to intensify.