Donald Trump wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students, but there's a flip side

Former US President Donald Trump has promised to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from US colleges to prevent them from returning to their home countries like India and China where "they become multibillionaires". 

“What I want to do and what I will do is -- you graduate from a college, I think you should get a Green Card automatically as part of your diploma, a Green Card to be able to stay in this country. And that includes junior colleges too,” Trump said in the 'All-In' podcast. 

His statement is a significant departure from the usual rhetoric on immigration. In the past, Trump has claimed that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history if elected.

His latest announcement has sparked a range of reactions online. A user on X wrote, “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!” 

Frank DeScushin, a Republican supporter, argued, “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.”

This promise, however, raises questions about its feasibility and consistency with Trump's past policies. In 2016, Trump made similar promises but then did the opposite as president by implementing measures to curtail legal immigration. 

Trump has even termed the H-1B visa as ‘very bad.’

During his presidency, Trump proposed curbs on legal immigration, such as family-based visas and the visa lottery program, and issued his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order. 

He expanded restrictions on legal immigration during the pandemic and proposed suspending all immigration to the United States, even deporting foreign students if they did not attend at least some classes in person. A month before the 2020 election, Trump again moved to restrict the H-1B visa program.

While Trump's new proposal could potentially benefit many immigrants, including high-skilled Indian professionals, it seems more like a strategic move to garner support from immigrant communities ahead of the election rather than an ideological shift. His track record of making bold promises during campaigns, some of which have not materialized, suggests a complex and often contradictory approach to immigration reform.