Trump Advocates Green Cards for Foreign Graduates of US Colleges

In a recent podcast, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump expressed his support for granting green cards to students graduating from U.S. colleges, contradicting his previous tough stance on immigration.

This proposal was made during the All-In podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech investors, where Trump responded to Jason Calacanis’ suggestion regarding the need to retain more high-skilled workers in the U.S., particularly in the tech industry.

During the podcast, Trump agreed that graduating students should automatically receive a green card along with their diploma, emphasizing that this should apply to graduates from all types of colleges, including junior colleges.

A green card, also known as a permanent resident card, allows individuals to live and work permanently in the United States and is a significant step towards citizenship.

However, it was unclear whether Trump’s proposal extended to all foreigners, including those who are in the U.S. illegally or have overstayed their visas, or if it only pertained to individuals on student visas.

In response to queries about the proposal, the Trump campaign stated that only the most skilled graduates who could make significant contributions to America would be eligible to stay, following an extensive vetting process.

The Biden campaign expressed doubt about Trump’s intentions to implement the proposal, citing his past strict immigration policies.

Immigration advocates were also skeptical, pointing out that Trump’s administration had previously implemented policies aimed at restricting student visas and making it harder for graduates to remain in the country.

 During his presidency, Trump’s administration took steps to limit the use of skilled foreign workers by U.S. companies and attempted to force foreign students to leave the country if their schools held all classes online during the pandemic.

The discussion also touched on other topics, with Trump ruling out the commitment of U.S. troops to Ukraine and expressing skepticism about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.

He also reiterated his stance against a federal ban on abortion rights.

The podcast and Trump’s statements were reported by Alexandra Ulmer and Gram Slattery, with additional reporting by Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson. The article was edited by Anthony Esposito, Diane Craft, and Nick Zieminski.