In a surprising change, former US President Donald Trump has promised Nigerians and other immigrants who are college graduates a green card if re-elected.
Trump, who previously claimed that migrants were “poisoning the blood of our country,” made the pledge during a podcast interview with Silicon Valley tech investors on June 20.
He stated that anyone who graduates from a US college should have the opportunity to remain in the country.
During an appearance on the All-In Podcast hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg, Trump said, “It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also. 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.”
A green card allows individuals to live and work in the US permanently and provides a route to citizenship. Trump’s new proposal, which could result in hundreds of thousands of new citizenship applications annually, marks a significant shift from the strict immigration policies that helped him rise in the Republican Party.
Trump has also repeatedly criticized his Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, for being too lenient on immigration.
At a campaign event in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Trump criticized a new program announced by Biden that allows undocumented spouses of US citizens to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country. “Our country is under invasion. We should not be talking amnesty; we should be talking about stopping the invasion instead,” Trump said.
