All that glitters is not gold

Trump and his Oompa Loopas want to cash in with golden tickets.

By: Elmira Muradkhanyan, News Editor

President Donald Trump proposes a foolish $5 million citizenship “gold card” to foreigners as a potential pathway for U.S. residency.

“It is mocking society in the way that Lady Liberty and what she stands for has been forgotten, the concept of the building blocks of the American industrial system,” said Dream Resource Center Coordinator and counselor Javier Carabajal.

Trump and his administration have persistently attacked immigrants since the start of his presidency. He has signed over 75 executive orders primarily targeting increased border security while simultaneously deporting 12,000 people every month since making a return to the Oval Office. In addition, he recently created a deportation conflict with the judicial branch of government as a result of his decision to deport over 250 Venezuelans back to Venezuela.

Consequently, the Venezuelan president stated that the act is illegal and sent an immediate order for the planes to return to America. Trump continues his reign of torment by attacking the most needy of immigrants. It is quite a contrast, as the man who penned Trump: The Art of the Deal is now suggesting the concept of selling American access for $5 million.

“We’re going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “You have a green card. This is a gold card. We’re going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that’s going to give you green-card privileges. Plus, it’s going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.”

Trump believes the gold card will attract wealthy foreigners looking to build permanent residency in America. While this may bring high revenue to the country, there are still thousands of people being deported every day. People who have lived here for years, building homes and livelihoods, are now being ripped from their families due to his immigration policies. Is this a way of insulting the United States people by offering an exorbitantly priced golden ticket to citizenship?

“The name of ‘gold visa’ puts a specific twist that has never been there before,” said counselor Carabajal. “People who are wealthy have used these methods and bought their way to permanent citizenship before, so why give it to the public now?”

Visas have been available for purchase in the United States for celebrities since 1990. Putting them on the market during the time that Trump has been deporting thousands of immigrants a day seems particularly cruel and shows a disregard for those suffering.

Celebrities, athletes, and entertainers continue to buy visas in order to work in the United States. O-1 visas, specifically designed for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievements, have been used by a number of well-known people to work in the United States, including Justin Bieber, Trevor Noah, Hugh Jackman, and Lionel Messi.

On average, the yearly income of immigrants in the United States sits around $75,500. Only the top 1 percent can afford a $5 million gold card.

The gold cards and the mass deportations stand in contrast to the Statue of Liberty and what it represents. The gift from France in 1884 serves as a beacon of freedom, democracy, and hope, but now Trump is transforming it into a symbol of wealth, arrogance, and cruelty.

The president’s actions are an embarrassment to the American people and our country’s foundations.