Former President Trump’s campaign has retracted a promise that he would “automatically” award green cards to migrants graduating from U.S. colleges.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, clarified the stance last week in a statement reported by the New York Post. She emphasized that Trump plans to focus on securing the border and launching an extensive deportation campaign, involving rigorous vetting to exclude individuals like communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters, and public charges.
The clarification follows Trump’s comments on the “All-in Podcast,” where he suggested that foreign graduates should receive green cards along with their diplomas, including those from junior colleges.
“You graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to stay in this country,” Trump said.
The proposal was met with immediate criticism. Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, called it a “cockamamie proposal” and warned it would lead to an influx of foreign money and undermine the value of U.S. diplomas. He argued that only those with advanced degrees in hard sciences might merit such an offer.
Chris Chmielenski, President of the conservative Immigration Accountability Project, also opposed the plan, suggesting it would lower wages, increase job competition for recent graduates, and pose national security risks.
The Biden campaign also criticized Trump’s proposal, labeling it an “empty promise” and accusing Trump of previously damaging immigrant families for political gain. Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz asserted that Trump’s second-term goals include harsh policies like mass detention camps for immigrants.
Leavitt responded by stating that Trump’s proposal would apply only to the most thoroughly vetted graduates who would not undercut American wages or job opportunities. She clarified that Trump believes in retaining highly skilled graduates who can contribute significantly to the country, but only after rigorous vetting.
