US Presidential polls 2024: Companies need smart people, Donald Trump promises green card for foreign graduates
Former US President Donald Trump, in an interview posted on Thursday, stated that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign graduates from US colleges, a departure from his usual tough stance on immigration.
As reported by AFP, Trump made these comments on a podcast days after US President Joe Biden announced a plan to provide a path to citizenship for immigrants married to US citizens. This move contrasted with Biden's recent efforts to tighten controls on illegal border crossings.
“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,” Trump told the All-In podcast.
A green card is the commonly used name for a permanent resident card in the United States and is considered a key step towards obtaining US citizenship.
Trump said this should include “anybody who graduates from a college,” including those who complete two-year programmes, known as junior colleges, and doctoral graduates.
When asked initially on the podcast if he would promise to help import the “best and the brightest around the world to America,” Trump replied, “I do promise.”