Donald Trump on Thursday night said he’s changing his stance on visas for highly skilled immigrant workers.
“I’m changing it, and I’m softening the position because we need to have talented people in this country,” Trump said at the Fox News GOP debate in Michigan.
{mosads}Trump’s comments came after debate moderator Megyn Kelly raised the issue. Kelly noted that Trump had previously opposed those visas, saying they “decimate American workers,” but appeared to change his position at an earlier CNBC debate.
Trump said recipients of the visas go to high-profile U.S. universities and “desperately” want to remain in the country. He said they should be allowed to stay and work in places that need high-skilled workers, such as Silicon Valley.
“We need highly-skilled people in this country,” Trump said. “For that purpose, we absolutely have to be able to keep the brainpower in this country.”