The Trump Card and the Future of U.S. Immigration

Derek Lawson

Hey everyone, welcome back to The Immigration Conversation. I'm Derek Lawson, and as always, I'm joined by the one and only Ruby Sturt. Ruby, how's it going?

Ruby Sturt

G'day Derek! I'm good, thanks. Bit jet-lagged, but that's just my excuse for any weird opinions today. So, what a week, huh? The Trump Card—sounds like a Vegas magic trick, but it's real. Or, well, sort of real?

Derek Lawson

Yeah, it's not quite a magic trick, but it does have a lot of people talking. President Trump just opened the waitlist for this so-called “Trump Card”—a $5 million investor visa. The idea is, you pony up five million bucks, and you get U.S. permanent residency, work rights, and eventually, a shot at citizenship. But, and this is a big but, it’s not actually law yet. There’s no official launch date, no legal authorization. It’s more like a flashy announcement on Truth Social and a website where you can register your interest.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and the website’s called TrumpCard.gov, which, I mean, is just—well, it’s a choice. The administration says it’ll bring in high-net-worth folks who’ll boost the economy. But, Derek, it’s not like the U.S. doesn’t already have investor visas, right? This one’s just, what, more expensive and with a bit more… branding?

Derek Lawson

Exactly. We’ve had the EB-5 for years, but this is, like, the luxury version. And the timing is wild, because while they’re rolling out the red carpet for millionaires, there are protests erupting all over the country about immigration crackdowns. I mean, LA’s had five days of protests, mass arrests, and even a downtown curfew. Mayor Karen Bass had to step in, and Governor Newsom called the federal response an “assault on democracy.”

Ruby Sturt

It’s intense. And it’s not just LA—New York, Chicago, Atlanta, all seeing big crowds. I actually covered a protest in Sydney a few years back, when Australia was tightening up its own immigration rules. The energy was similar—lots of fear, but also a sense of community. But I gotta say, the U.S. response feels a lot more militarized. Troops in the streets, ICE raids, it’s a different level.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and the contrast is pretty stark. On one hand, you’ve got this invitation to the ultra-wealthy, and on the other, you’ve got everyday families worried about raids and deportations. It’s a real split-screen moment for U.S. immigration.

Ruby Sturt

And the politics are just as split. Some leaders are pushing back hard, but the administration’s not backing down. It’s like, “Welcome if you’ve got five million, but everyone else—watch out.”

Derek Lawson

Speaking of people leaving, did you see that Boundless report? Record numbers of Americans are giving up their citizenship. I mean, it’s gone from a few hundred a year before 2009 to over six thousand in 2020, and the numbers are still high.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and it’s not just the super-rich, either. It’s dual citizens, middle-income folks, even so-called “accidental Americans”—like, people who were born in the U.S. but never really lived here. The main reasons? U.S. tax laws, banking headaches, and just the logistics of being an expat. It’s not really about politics for most of them, which surprised me.

Derek Lawson

Same here. I actually talked to an accountant in Detroit last week—she’s got clients who are just exhausted by the paperwork. One guy couldn’t open a bank account in Europe because of U.S. reporting rules. He said, “I feel like I’m being punished for being American.” It’s not just the taxes, it’s the whole system making life harder for people who live abroad.

Ruby Sturt

And it’s not like they’re all billionaires dodging taxes. Most are just regular people who want to keep their lives simple. But the U.S. makes it so complicated that giving up citizenship starts to look like the only way out. It’s a bit sad, honestly.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and it raises questions about what U.S. citizenship is really worth if so many people are willing to walk away. I mean, I’m not saying it’s not valuable, but the hassle factor is definitely up there.

Ruby Sturt

Totally. And I think it’s something a lot of Americans don’t even realize is happening. It’s not just a headline—it’s a trend that’s been building for years.

Derek Lawson

And while all that’s going on, ICE is under huge pressure to meet arrest quotas. They’re doing raids at worksites, in courtrooms, even at routine check-ins. The goal is to detain as many undocumented immigrants as possible, even those without criminal records. Detention centers are packed—like, 55,000 people in facilities built for 41,500. It’s, uh, not sustainable.

Ruby Sturt

It’s honestly scary. And it’s not just numbers—it’s real people. Like Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old college student in Georgia. She’s a Dreamer, brought to the U.S. as a kid, honors student, scholarship winner. She got stopped for a traffic thing—wrongly, by the way—and ended up in immigration custody for weeks. Charges dropped, but she still got caught up in the system. That’s the risk now, even for people who’ve done everything right.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and she’s not alone. There are thousands of Dreamers who can’t even apply for DACA right now because of legal challenges. And yet, polls show most Americans support permanent protections for Dreamers. But if the legal pathways are blocked, what does that support actually mean?

Ruby Sturt

It’s like, public opinion is one thing, but policy is another. People say they want Dreamers to stay, but the system keeps making it harder. I don’t know, Derek, sometimes it feels like we’re just going in circles.

Derek Lawson

Yeah, and I wish I had a neat answer, but I don’t. All I know is, these stories aren’t going away, and neither are the people living them. We’ll keep following it, and hopefully, next time we’ll have some better news to share.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, fingers crossed. That’s all for this episode of The Immigration Conversation. Thanks for listening, and we’ll be back soon with more stories and, hopefully, a few answers.

Derek Lawson

Take care, everyone. Ruby, always a pleasure.

Ruby Sturt

You too, Derek. Catch you next time!