Despite growing opposition from conservative supporters, Donald Trump maintains that skilled immigrants should be allowed into the U.S. to support the expansion of domestic advanced manufacturing.
Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Trump specifically addressed the labor demands of new factories, including a facility being built by TSMC in Arizona.
"You can't come in and invest billions in a massive computer chip plant, like in Arizona, and expect to hire people straight from the unemployed to run it," Trump said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum. "They have to bring thousands of people with them, and I would welcome those people."
His remarks represent the latest instance of Trump voicing support for skilled immigration. Advocates of this policy note that current government actions do not align with Trump's stance.
In September, U.S. authorities conducted a surprise inspection at a Georgia battery plant jointly operated by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution. The incident temporarily strained U.S.-South Korea relations, with critics arguing that the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions could deter foreign investors.
At Wednesday's forum, Trump acknowledged that his pro-skilled immigration stance might upset his conservative base, which generally supports tough government policies on immigration.
"I love my conservative friends, I love the MAGA movement, but this is MAGA," he said. "My poll numbers went down, but they went way up with the smart people."
Trump also proposed bringing in foreign workers to help train a generation of Americans in advanced technologies.
"If you have to bring people in to get those plants open, we want you to do it. We want those people to teach our workers how to make computer chips, how to make other things," he said.
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