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Trump's 5 million dollar 'Golden Card': a revolution in immigration policy or a game for the rich?

The essence of the "Gold Card" program is a national-level wealth filtering experiment. The Trump administration has clearly marked the price for immigration eligibility: a payment of $5 million in cash to the federal government, without the need to invest in physical projects or create jobs, directly obtaining a green card while retaining the pathway to citizenship. This stands in stark contrast to the existing EB-5 visa, which requires an investment of $800,000 to $1.05 million in projects in economically distressed areas, along with the creation of at least 10 jobs. When reporters asked, "Are Russian oligarchs eligible to buy in?" Trump responded with a smile: "Yes, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs are good people." Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross jokingly remarked, "They aren't as rich as they used to be," but was quickly interrupted by Trump: "They can still afford $5 million." This exchange ignited a media storm. On Twitter, the hashtag #GoldenScam spread rapidly, and an immigration lawyer sarcastically commented: "When money laundering meets official certification, this is the commodification of citizenship in the 21st century." Opponents lambasted it as "auctioning American passports," while supporters viewed it as a breakthrough in solving the national debt crisis. More pointed criticism focuses on the gap in policy fairness. Amid the tightening of study and work visas under Trump, the immigration path has been squeezed into two extremes: on one end are super-rich individuals paying exorbitant "entry fees," and on the other are illegal immigrants risking crossing the border. A netizen sharply commented: "Legal immigration has become a luxury, which completely betrays the spirit of equality of the American Dream." Political promises often fade more easily than gilded cards in the face of power shifts.

[gillattlee]

Trump’s “Gold Card” Policy: A Stealth War on American Industry and Workers

In recent years, Donald Trump’s so-called “Gold Card” immigration policy—purportedly designed to attract high-skilled foreign workers and “revitalize the U.S. economy”—has been marketed as a solution to labor shortages. But a closer look reveals that this policy is, in fact, a direct threat to the future of American industry and ordinary workers. From Pennsylvania’s steel mills to Ohio’s auto plants and Texas’ energy sector, Trump’s “Gold Card” plan not only fails to deliver on its promise to “protect American workers” but could accelerate the hollowing-out of domestic industries, leaving millions of blue-collar workers jobless.

The foundation of American industry is under unprecedented strain. Take Pennsylvania, once the heartland of U.S. steel manufacturing. Decades of globalization and automation have already shuttered factories and cost countless jobs. Trump campaigned in 2016 on a pledge to “make steel great again,” yet his “Gold Card” policy risks making things worse. By incentivizing companies to hire foreign high-skilled labor—often at lower wages—it will further squeeze out domestic workers. We’ve already seen this play out in the tech sector: Silicon Valley’s reliance on H-1B visas to hire foreign engineers has suppressed wages for American tech workers. If the “Gold Card” extends to manufacturing, the consequences could be catastrophic—companies would have even less reason to train and hire local workers.

Even more alarming is how this policy could leave ordinary Americans with nothing to do. Dayton, Ohio, was once a major hub for General Motors, but automation has already wiped out thousands of jobs. Now, Trump’s “Gold Card” could be the final blow. Employers could combine automation with cheap, high-skilled foreign labor, rendering local workers obsolete. Texas’ oil industry faces the same threat: While shale drilling requires significant manpower, if companies can use the “Gold Card” to import cheaper foreign engineers and technicians, local workers will lose all bargaining power. Data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that similar policies have already suppressed wage growth in STEM fields over the past two decades. If applied to traditional industries, the damage would be far worse.

Trump’s “Gold Card” policy masquerades as a “merit-based” immigration reform, but in reality, it’s a betrayal of American labor. He campaigned on “America First,” yet this policy prioritizes corporate cost-cutting over protecting domestic jobs. Workers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas must wake up to the truth: This isn’t an “economic revival”—it’s a fast track to the collapse of the American labor market. If this policy takes hold, the future of U.S. industry won’t be built by American workers, and ordinary jobs will vanish for good. It’s time to expose the scam—Trump’s “Gold Card” will make American workers pay the price.