Trump Backs Green Cards for Foreign Student Graduates, Campaign Emphasizes Vetting

Former President Donald Trump suggested an immigration policy change: green cards should be given to all non-citizen graduates of American universities. His campaign quickly added qualifiers to the proposal. 

Key Quote: Appearing on the “All-In” podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech investors, Trump said, “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.”

The Details: Organizations seeking to restrict immigration called on Trump to revise his position. Trump’s campaign later clarified that this proposal would only apply to thoroughly vetted graduates who would not undercut American wages or workers. Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told ABC News (Lean Left bias) that “radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, and America haters” would be excluded from this process.

For Context: This move may be seen as an attempt to moderate on the controversial issue of immigration ahead of the general election, similar to President Joe Biden’s recent move limiting asylum claims.

How the Media Covered It: Trump's comments sparked a range of responses. ABC News emphasized the vetting clarification by Trump's campaign, and The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) framed Trump as “reviving a Hillary Clinton idea.” On the other hand, Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) highlighted critics who argued the policy would turn colleges into “visa mills” and disadvantage U.S. citizens. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) was more sensational, highlighting “hardline immigration advocacy groups” that “lash[ed] out” at the “cockamamie proposal.” This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.