Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that the United States should focus on admitting immigrants to help grow the economy as the White House issues long-awaited “gold card” visas.
“We’re the only major country that just allows people from other countries to come into the country without vetting them and determining whether they’re really going to help the American economy,” Lutnick said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
“Let’s bring in the best of the best,” he said. “Let’s help them grow America and build America. Why do we have to take in people who are below average? It just makes no sense.”
Lutnick said the “average green card holder” in the U.S. earns “less than one-third of the average American.”
His comments came as President Donald Trump officially launched the Gold Card Visa. The program, which has been reduced in price from $5 million to $1 million and offers a path to citizenship, has attracted strong interest from wealthy foreigners.
The Trump administration has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of its return to the White House. President Trump announced in September that he would impose a $100,000 fee on new applications for H-1B visas, a popular way for technology companies to attract skilled workers from overseas.
Lutnick said an immigrant’s willingness to pay $1 million would provide “proof” that they deserve an expedited application.
“We should bring in the best talent,” Lutnick said. “That’s what Donald Trump is trying to change about our immigration system.”
