Donald Trump has revealed he wants to grant green cards to foreign graduates from US colleges, in a clear softening of his typically hard-line view on immigration, a major election issue.
Trump made the revelation in a recent podcast that was published days after President Joe Biden announced a citizenship pathway for immigrants married to US nationals.
In his All-In podcast, Trump said: “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.”
The Republican candidate stated that this should include “anybody who graduates from a college,” including those who complete junior colleges, and doctoral graduates.
When asked initially on the podcast if he would pledge to help import the “best and the brightest around the world to America,” Trump replied: “I do promise.”
He added: “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.”
He also said that US companies need “smart people,” adding “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.”
He added: “That is going to end on day one.”
During Trump’s tenure as President, he directed the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border and implemented a travel ban on people from mostly Muslim countries.
Trump’s comments came after Biden relaxed visa rules for around 500 thousand spouses of US nationals, making it easier for them to obtain citizenship.
Biden also simplified the process for migrants who entered the United States illegally as children — known as “Dreamers” — to obtain work visas if they’ve graduated from college and possess a “high-skilled job offer.”