Tricia McLaughlin: Trump Needs This America First Immigration Policy To Keep America Great

Upon walking into the Oval Office on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump didn’t just inherit a broken border and a nation flooded with tens of millions of unvetted illegal aliens — he became heir to a shattered legal immigration system, exploited by dozens of reckless parole programs and the doling out of legal status to hundreds of thousands of unvetted migrants. I saw the horror of our hollowed-out immigration system firsthand while serving as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.

This illegal and “legal” immigration costs Americans a cool $150.7 billion every year (that’s a conservative estimate), craters wages for American workers, and drives up the cost of everything from housing to used cars.

Of course, President Trump and his administration have made historic strides in reversing the damage — facilitating the exit of approximately three million illegal aliens from America, ending temporary protected status for dozens of countries, eschewing dangerous parole programs, and, of course, fortifying the border.

A full 180 degrees from these cataclysmic programs and policies of the past is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program — a program that requires investment in the United States and job creation for American workers in exchange for coveted lawful permanent residency (green cards). Every applicant undergoes extensive background checks and scrutiny. They have to prove they will invest in America rather than drain its resources.

Skeptical? I was too. But, in three years, the EB-5 program generated $75.2 billion in investments, created 1.7 million jobs, and added $184 billion to our GDP.

A budget and immigration hawk myself, I see EB-5 as a revenue generator at a time when Congress needs to find ways to fund critical priorities without descending our country into further debt. Unlike most federal programs, it does not rely on taxpayer dollars: it brings new capital into the U.S. economy, funds development projects, and creates jobs — while generating fees and tax revenue that exceed its administrative costs.

The EB-5 investments also target American communities with high unemployment or in need of economic revitalization. These are often rural or overlooked communities that struggle to attract capital through traditional means. EB-5 helps bridge that gap, bringing investment and job creation to parts of the country that need it most.

In my home state of Ohio, EB-5 funds contributed significantly to the construction of a full-service hospital and the region’s only stand-alone cancer center.

And in Arkansas, EB-5 investment has supported the development of a technologically advanced steel recycling facility in a rural community, contributing to one of the largest economic development projects in the state’s history.

Any American government program, especially immigration programs, must benefit American citizens directly. EB-5 does just that without adding to the taxpayer burden.

Congress needs to reinforce the Trump administration’s efforts by codifying America First programs that require proven vetting and benefit our people and communities — which is exactly why lawmakers should make the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program permanent and include it in the next reconciliation package.

Critics often attempt to characterize EB-5 as an elitist program that benefits only a select few. That completely misses the point: The value of EB-5 is not in who applies — it is in what the program delivers for the United States and the American people: jobs, infrastructure, and economic growth through investment.

The administration has pursued American-first immigration since day one, but it cannot do it alone. It never could. Congress now has an opportunity to step up and deliver a policy that aligns with both national security needs and economic reality. Codifying a program that has been proven to work: enforcing the law, creating lawful pathways to citizenship that serve the national interest, and ensuring that immigration policy actually contributes to — not detracts from — America’s strength.

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Tricia McLaughlin served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. Follow her on X: @TriciaOhio