Donald Trump’s “gold card” visa, where a foreigner can shell out at least $1 million to legally live and work in the U.S., has been approved for one person, said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Thursday — appearing to fall a bit short of an earlier claim.

After it launched in December, Lutnick said that the government had sold $1.3 billion “worth” in just several days, as Trump stood by holding up the gilded ticket and said, “essentially it’s the green card on steroids.”

Lutnick did not address the apparent discrepancy in an exchange with a congresswoman at Thursday’s committee hearing.

  • abigscaryhobo@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    The worst part is, other countries have done this, we just did it in the worst way possible.

    There are several countries where if you invest enough in the economy through trade and businesses you can actually get a visa. But you have to actually invest in the economy not just throw a million dollars at some orange dickhead.

  • waigl@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    The Trump administration has been known to just randomly, unilaterally withdraw visas on a whim. You’d have to be crazy to accept that bargain when they just might kick you out anyway and keep your money.

    • DokPsy@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Or take the fees for applications but not process any of them. As they are currently doing

  • inari@piefed.zip
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    14 hours ago

    Crazy that this doesn’t outright buy citizenship, like some European countries do/used to do. Makes it a much smaller value.

    • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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      5 hours ago

      Those didn’t outright buy citizenship either. They gave permanent residency permits could later be converted to citizenship based on the country’s naturalization laws.

      Which is exactly what a green card is

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        3 hours ago

        Which is exactly what a green card is

        Tell that to all the green hard holders they’ve detained.

        Oh wait, you can’t because nobody knows where the fuck they are.

          • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            2 hours ago

            Did you think I was suggesting that all green card holders were detained?

            Because yeah, no. Read it again maybe?

            • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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              2 hours ago

              Before this gets into a whole thing. I think that this discussion wasn’t really the point or topic I was trying to address.

              A green card is supposed to be permanent residency. Just like the purchased residences that some European countries had.

              Trump using ICE and homeland security to commit crimes is a given

  • mkwt@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    The types of visas that are available and the rules for them are set by laws passed by Congress. Trump doesn’t have the power to just unilaterally create a new visa category. So if you look at the fine print, this is actually some other already existing category that allows the president to admit individuals at discretion, and the fee is just a donation to the US Treasury. That’s also why it’s not racking up a bunch of court challenges.

    • artyom@piefed.social
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      14 hours ago

      Trump doesn’t have the power to

      Until such a time as someone actually stops him from doing whatever the fuck he wants, he absolutely does.

    • Jhex@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      Trump doesn’t have the power to just unilaterally…

      it’s incredible to me that, today, there are people in the USA who think rules and laws still apply… this is at week 6 of a not-a-war that the orange pedophile did not have the power to unilaterally commit the country to

      • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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        5 hours ago

        I mean where have you been? If laws and rules no longer had any meaning then why is the administration being forced to give back the tariff money and repeal them? Why was the admistration forced to re-hire thousands of federal employees it illegally terminated? Why was the national gaurd forced to leave several cities?

        These were all decided by the courts and the administration complied. I’m not saying compliance is perfect, and I’m not saying the administration isn’t trying to do very undemocratic things. But clearly there is still some rule of law.

        Also yes the president can wage war like that. We do have a law on the books that gives the president basically 60 days to do whatever he wants with the military. Cold war era law that was poorly written

        • Jhex@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          We do have a law on the books that gives the president basically 60 days to do whatever he wants with the military

          lol it was 30 day when this war started that “military operations” were allowed… it’s been 54 day to today, I’m sure you’ll be arguing an extension in 6 days to pretend there is still some level of control

          my point is that drawing the conclusion that, if trump did x it must be legal somehow because he could not posibly do an illegal thing is laughable

          • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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            4 hours ago

            I’m sorry you were misinformed but it’s been 60 days since 1973.

            https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/trumps-may-1-deadline-can-he-continue-war-on-iran-after-that

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Resolution

            The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30-day withdrawal period, without congressional authorization for use of military force

            Basically a President can tell Congress I’m doing this. Do whatever for 60 days, then they have another 30 days to wind down the conflict and withdrawal troops.

            Basically Trump can be there for 90 days without breaking any laws. I’m not saying we should be there or that Trump doesn’t break laws. He clearly does both of those he’s a felon after all, but if we are just plain wrong and call legal things illegal then it distracts from the actual crimes.

            The presidential war powers act needs to be repealed, but that’s another topic

            • Jhex@lemmy.world
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              2 hours ago

              Ok then… we’ll talk in 36 days so I can hear the next excuse ;-)

              • arrow74@lemmy.zip
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                2 hours ago

                There will be no excuse then it can be added to the list of crimes that in a just world we’d hang his cheeto crusted ass for.

                Now stop being a smug weirdo about it

                • Jhex@lemmy.world
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                  2 hours ago

                  Sorry, can’t hear you over the high horse you are ridding on a dumpster of a country

      • Serinus@lemmy.world
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        13 hours ago

        It’s incredible to me that, today, you’re willing to just give up all rules and laws without even an argument.

        • WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca
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          2 hours ago

          Look at all the “HE CAN’T DO THAT”s in the rearview mirror and tell us we’re wrong.

          I swear to Christ, US liberals have had Groundhog Day syndrome for a solid year. Things have escalated and your response hasn’t changed a fucking iota.

        • Jhex@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          recognizing the laws have no teeth or enforcement is not giving them up, it’s simply accepting the problem which is the very first step to solve it

        • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          my dude, i can argue with someone who agrees with me or i can argue with the wall. i can’t argue with someone in charge. i’d rather go play pogs

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      Trump doesn’t have the power to just unilaterally create a new visa category.

      He gets to order ICE around and they get to decide who actually gets the rough treatment.

      That said, I wouldn’t count on this visa being worth much once Trump is gone. So I can understand why nobody is enthusiastic about paying his bribe.

  • EvilBit@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    I really really really really want to see in the news soon that this person still got disappeared by ICE for being the wrong color.

      • EvilBit@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        I still wouldn’t put it past an ICE agent that “likes all kinds of music, except hip-hop”