Former President Donald Trump announced a surprising policy shift during a podcast appearance, suggesting automatic green cards for foreign college students graduating in the United States.

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In a podcast hosted by David Sacks, a supporter of Trump's 2024 campaign, the former president criticized what he termed as excessive immigration levels while expressing support for importing the world's best talents to America.

"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," Trump stated, extending the proposal to junior colleges as well.

The proposal contrasts sharply with Trump's previous immigration policies, which included plans for massive deportations of illegal migrants and strict limits on legal immigration. Trump himself criticized President Biden's recent amnesty plans during a campaign rally, accusing them of undermining national security and providing undue benefits to illegal immigrants.

However, hours after Trump's remarks aired, his campaign's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, issued a statement walking back the initial proposal.

Leavitt emphasized that any such program would include rigorous vetting, excluding individuals deemed detrimental to national interests, such as communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters, and those likely to become public charges.

Trump indicated during the podcast that he had contemplated such reforms during his presidency but faced obstacles, particularly citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a complicating factor.

Throughout his term, Trump's immigration agenda, crafted with guidance from White House adviser Stephen Miller, aimed to curtail various forms of legal immigration, including work visa programs and refugee resettlement.

The Biden campaign quickly denounced the proposal as an "empty promise" and criticized Trump's record on immigration during his previous term in office.

Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), labeled the proposal as "cockamamie," warning that it would flood the country with foreign workers and potentially lower wages for Americans.

He expressed concerns that the policy would incentivize the proliferation of expedited academic programs solely aimed at obtaining green cards, a move he suggested would be exploited by lobbyists and profiteers worldwide.

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Chris Chmielenski, president of the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP), criticized the proposal for potentially reducing wages and increasing job competition, particularly among recent graduates.

He emphasized that US immigration policies should prioritize the interests of American citizens over the demand for cheap labor by elite business interests.