Donald Trump has indicated a shift in his stance on immigration by proposing to grant green cards to foreign students graduating from U.S. colleges.
This comes as a notable change from his usually stringent views on immigration, a major issue in the election.
During a podcast released on Thursday, the Republican candidate discussed his plan, which followed President Joe Biden’s recent move to provide a citizenship pathway for immigrants married to U.S. citizens, balancing his strict approach to 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 stated on the All-In podcast.
A green card, or permanent resident card, is a step toward U.S. citizenship.
Trump emphasized that this policy should cover all graduates, from two-year junior colleges to doctoral programs.
When asked if he would commit to bringing the “best and the brightest around the world to America,” Trump affirmed, “I do promise.”
He elaborated, “I know of stories where people graduated from a top college, or from a college, and they desperately want to stay here… and they can’t. They go back to India, they go back to China. They do the same basic company in those places and they become multi-billionaires employing thousands and thousands of people.”
Trump highlighted the need for “smart people” in U.S. companies, saying, “They can’t even make a deal with a company because they don’t think they’re going to be able to stay in the country.”
“That is going to end on day one,” he asserted.
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump ordered the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border and imposed a travel ban on individuals from predominantly Muslim countries.
Trump’s remarks followed Biden’s Tuesday announcement easing visa regulations for approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, facilitating their path to citizenship.
The president also simplified the process for undocumented migrants brought to the U.S. as children—known as “Dreamers”—to obtain work visas if they’ve graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer.
Biden, who faces criticism from Republicans for being lenient on immigration, signed an executive order in early June prohibiting migrants who enter the U.S. illegally from seeking asylum when daily numbers exceed 2,500.
