trump’s latest immigration restrictions are bad news for american workers

As an immigrant who arrived in the United States from India twenty years ago, I have been fortunate enough to earn a doctoral degree, establish two businesses, generate nearly 100 employment opportunities, and successfully sell a company to Google, delivering a return exceeding tenfold for my investors.

I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to realize the American dream, becoming a proud U.S. citizen and contributing to the prosperity of others. However, it is noteworthy that I represent precisely the type of individual that President Trump’s revised immigration policies—which prioritize American citizens for job opportunities and narrow the criteria for H-1B visa eligibility—are intended to exclude from entering the country.

By imposing stricter requirements for H-1B visas, as well as L visas for multinational employees and J visas for certain students, the administration is potentially hindering economic expansion. Numerous studies demonstrate that the H-1B program for skilled workers fosters job creation and increases earnings for American university graduates. In fact, economists estimate that an increase in H-1B admissions, rather than a suspension, could lead to the creation of 1.3 million new jobs and a $158 billion boost to the GDP by the year 2045.

Preventing individuals like myself from entering the country will undoubtedly cause immediate disruptions for technology companies that are already facing challenges in recruiting qualified personnel. This will impede growth, suppress innovation, and reduce the number of jobs created. However, the long-term consequences could be even more significant. By diminishing America’s welcoming atmosphere, President Trump’s order will negatively impact the ability of American businesses to attract and retain the world’s most talented young individuals.

Allow me to illustrate with my own experience. I came to the United States after completing a degree in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), a highly regarded technical university often referred to as the “MIT of India.” In the year I applied, hundreds of thousands of candidates competed for only 10,000 available positions, making IIT considerably more selective than MIT itself. After four years, I graduated and, along with many of my highest-achieving classmates, decided to pursue further education in the United States.

At that time, it was widely assumed that ambitious young Indians would travel to America to continue their education and pursue their professional aspirations. Many of us viewed the United States as the foremost center for technological advancement, and also as a genuine meritocracy—a place where immigrants were given a fair opportunity, hard work was rewarded, and talented young people could build a successful future.

I received acceptance letters from ten different universities and ultimately chose to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois due to its highly ranked computer science program. During my graduate studies, I developed innovative methods for preventing computer chips from overheating, technologies that are now utilized in server farms globally. Subsequently, I gained experience at McKinsey before establishing my own technology startup, Appurify, an application-testing platform that was later acquired by Google and integrated into their Cloud services.

I spent a couple of years at Google, but I enjoyed the challenge of building something new, so in 2016 I founded atSpoke, an AI-driven ticketing system that optimizes IT and HR support. We have secured $28 million in funding, employed 60 individuals, and assisted companies such as Cloudera, DraftKings, and Mapbox in creating more efficient workplaces and managing the transition to remote work.

Experiences similar to mine are not uncommon. Relocating to a new country requires optimism, drive, and a willingness to take risks—qualities that often motivate immigrants to start their own businesses. Immigrants establish businesses at a rate twice that of native-born individuals, accounting for approximately 30% of all new businesses launched in 2016 and over half of the country’s billion-dollar “unicorn” startups. Numerous iconic American brands, including Procter & Gamble, AT&T, Google, Apple, and even Bank of America, were founded by immigrants or their descendants.

We have traditionally considered America to be the preferred destination for talented young people, particularly those with essential technical skills. However, this may not remain the case indefinitely. Since my arrival two decades ago, India’s technology sector has experienced significant growth, providing more opportunities for young people without requiring them to leave the country. Furthermore, China, Canada, Australia, and Europe are actively competing for global talent by streamlining the immigration process for skilled young individuals, often including those with an American education, to join their workforces or launch new ventures.

Even a temporary suspension of employment-based visa programs will exclude the innovation and entrepreneurship that our economy urgently requires. More importantly, such actions undermine the belief in the American dream for the world’s most promising young minds, prompting them to seek opportunities elsewhere. The lasting impact of President Trump’s executive order will be a diminished ability for American businesses to compete for global talent in the years ahead—ultimately hindering job creation, slowing economic growth, and negatively affecting American workers.