Current:Home > NewsTrump proposes green cards for foreign grads of US colleges, departing from anti-immigrant rhetoric -InvestSmart Insights
Trump proposes green cards for foreign grads of US colleges, departing from anti-immigrant rhetoric
View
Date:2025-04-22 04:22:01
MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump said in an interview posted on Thursday he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges, a sharp departure from the anti-immigrant rhetoric he typically uses on the campaign trail.
Trump was asked about plans for companies to be able to import the “best and brightest” in a podcast taped Wednesday with venture capitalists and tech investors called the “All-In.”
“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. And that includes junior colleges too, anybody graduates from a college. You go there for two years or four years,” he said, vowing to address this concern on day one.
Immigration has been Trump’s signature issue during his 2024 bid to return to the White House. His suggestion that he would offer green cards — documents that confer a pathway to U.S. citizenship — to potentially hundreds of thousands of foreign graduates would represent a sweeping expansion of America’s immigration system that sharply diverges from his most common messages on foreigners.
Trump has blamed immigrants who are in the country illegally for committing crimes, stealing jobs and government resources, and suggested that they are “poisoning the blood of our country.” He has promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history if elected.
Trump and his allies often say they distinguish between people entering illegally versus legally. But during his administration, Trump also proposed curbs on legal immigration such as family-based visas and the visa lottery program.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- Read the latest: Follow AP’s complete coverage of this year’s election.
Right after taking office in 2017, he issued his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, directing Cabinet members to suggest reforms to ensure that business visas were only awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers.
He has previously said the H1-B program commonly used by companies to hire foreign workers temporarily — a program he has used in the past — was “very bad” and used by tech companies to get foreign workers for lower pay.
During the conversation with “All-In,” Trump blamed the coronavirus pandemic for being unable to implement these measures while he was president. He said he knows of stories of people who graduate from top colleges and want to stay in the U.S. but can’t secure visas to do so, forcing them to return to their native countries, specifically naming India and China. He said they go on and become multibillionaires, employing thousands of workers.
“You need a pool of people to work for your company,” Trump said. “And they have to be smart people. Not everybody can be less than smart. You need brilliant people.”
veryGood! (852)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Florida high school football player dies after collapsing during game
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dark Matter
- Recreational marijuana sales begin on North Carolina tribal land, drug illegal in state otherwise
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Coney Island’s iconic Cyclone roller coaster reopens 2 weeks after mid-ride malfunction
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott becomes highest-paid player in NFL history with new contract
- Ratepayers Have Had Enough Of Rising Energy Bills
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Shooting attack at the West Bank-Jordan border crossing kills 3 Israelis
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Bama Rush, step aside! 3-year-old star of 'Toddler Rush' combines cuteness and couture
- Tyreek Hill is briefly detained for a traffic violation ahead of Dolphins’ season opener
- Jennifer Lopez slays on Toronto red carpet, brings 'sass' to 'Unstoppable' role
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Arrive at NYC Dinner in Style After Chiefs Win
- Nicole Kidman Announces Death of Her Mom Janelle After Leaving Venice Film Festival
- A mural honoring scientists hung in Pfizer’s NYC lobby for 60 years. Now it’s up for grabs
Recommendation
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
Creed setlist: All the rock songs you'll hear on the Summer of '99 Tour
A Colorado State Patrol trooper is shot while parked along a highway and kills gunman
Dorm Room Essentials That Are Actually Hella Convenient for Anyone Living in a Small Space
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
Rap megastar Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dark Matter
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Arrive at NYC Dinner in Style After Chiefs Win