Mr. Trump: EB-5 Foreign Investment Visas are Working for America
Presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been in hot water this summer for disparaging comments about American immigrants. His low esteem of immigrants goes back years, and casts aspersions on legal immigration as well.
“They come with the best of intentions. But legal immigrants do not and should not enter easily. It’s a long, costly, draining, and often frustrating experience-by design.”
– Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.143-45 , Jul 2, 2000“I’m opposed to new people coming in,” he said. “We have to take care of the people who are here.”
– Source: nytimes.com/library/politics , Dec 10, 1999
Mr. Trump might be surprised to learn a few things about immigrant contributions to the USA.
Immigrants built America with blood, sweat, innovation, and investment. The dream of building America is still alive for immigrants, especially investors. The EB-5 visa was created in 1990, and is offered by the US Government to certified investors as an opportunity to help grow our economy, whilst participating in America’s success. The EB-5 program is a job-creating investment program that can lead to permanent residence for a foreign investor. A deal well worth it for all parties.
Investment through the EB-5 visa program is Billions of dollars every year. Across the USA, developers, union leaders, corporate leaders, and elected officials have welcomed investment into a myriad of projects. Since 2005, over $9 billion in direct foreign investments supported over 181,000 American jobs. All with no cost to taxpayers.
The projects include commercial developments, new hospitals, residential developments, movies and entertainment, artisanal Hawaiian coffee growers, and dozens of other industries.
Capital, jobs, growth, and success, all from immigrants seeking the American Dream. The EB-5 program enjoys bi-partisan support and unanimous Senate backing. It is so successful that even Donald Trump might even support it!
What would Donald Trump say to his son-in-law Jared Kushner using EB-5 investments to build the sister building to Trump Plaza Residences?
Indeed, the building known as 88 Kushner-KABR EB-5 is described in the brochure as, “Slated to be the sister building of Trump Plaza Residences, 88 KUSHNER-KABR which will stand with Trump Plaza to symbolize Jersey City’s twin towers.” The project borrowed more than $40Million from immigrant investors. This lead to 1,664 jobs for Americans without a single tax payer dollar.
We are all immigrants. We all benefit from immigration. Especially large real estate developers.