Former US President Donald Trump announced his intention to grant automatic green cards to all US college graduates if he is elected again. This statement, made during a podcast, has stirred considerable debate and attention across various communities and political spectrums.
During the podcast, Trump expressed concern over the loss of talented graduates from prestigious institutions like Harvard and MIT, as well as other notable and lesser-known schools. He proposed that obtaining a college degree in the United States should come with the automatic issuance of a green card. This policy would extend to all graduates, including those from junior colleges.
“Let me just tell you that it’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also,” Trump stated in the podcast. “But what I want to do, and what I will do is if 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 in there for two years or four years, if you graduate, or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country.”
Following the podcast, Trump’s campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt elaborated on the proposal. She emphasized that this green card policy would apply only to the most thoroughly vetted graduates. “Trump has outlined the most aggressive vetting process in U.S. history, to exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges.” He further added, “This would only apply to the most thoroughly vetted college graduates who would never undercut American wages or workers.”
The announcement was particularly well-received by the Indian American community, who have long advocated for green card reforms. Indians who have often had to face lengthy visa and immigration process and challenges, believed that Trump’s proposal was a potential solution to longstanding issues that they had been facing.
“For the first time, Trump has talked about improving the legal immigration system and about high-skilled talent from India,”said Atal Agarwal, a prominent voice of immigration rights for Indians. “It’s high time Indian immigrants support Trump since Democrats aren’t supporting the community.”
Suchit Ahuja, a professor at Concordia University, echoed this sentiment.“Just on this point alone, I would vote for him and ignore his other shenanigans. It’s a win-win. I was forced to leave the US because of precisely this issue…Inability to convert an H1B into a green card,” Ahuja stated.
Despite the positive reception from some quarters, Trump’s proposal also drew a sinificant amount of skepticism and criticism from the other faction people. Critics took the opportunity to highlight his previous anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. They pointed out his past statements about immigrants “poisoning the blood of our country” and his promises of large-scale deportations.
his statement also created a wave over the social media. The users expressed varied range of mixed reactions. A user on X (formerly Twitter) remarked, “Populist Trump strikes again! Now all an illegal migrant has to do is graduate from Phoenix University and wham-bam Green Card! Trump flip-flops on immigration, and I’ll bet MAGA just rolls over and accepts it!”
Republican supporter Frank DeScushin expressed concern about the potential increase in immigrants competing for college spots. “Trump’s plan to give any foreign student graduating a US college a green card, including two-year colleges, will increase the number of immigrants coming to and staying in the US, and increase the competition for college spots, making it more difficult for American students,” DeScushin stated.
Some skeptics questioned the feasibility of Trump’s proposal, given his track record. Anshu Sharma, an Indian entrepreneur from California, recalled Trump’s past promises that did not materialize. “Trump literally slowed down H1B renewals and canceled the right to work for H1B spouses. This man is a liar. He will say anything to anyone,” Sharma said.
During his presidency, Trump proposed several measures to curtail legal immigration, such as limiting family-based visas and the visa lottery program. His “Buy American and Hire American” executive order also aimed at restricting immigration.
While Trump’s proposal could benefit many immigrants, including high-skilled Indian professionals, it raises questions about its alignment with his previous policies. Some analysts view this announcement as a strategic move to garner support from immigrant communities ahead of the election rather than an ideological shift.
