In the wake of the 2016 Presidential election, countless would-be immigrants have been forced to rethink their immigration to the United States. This trend, while not surprising, is particularly alarming when the data on highly-skilled students, foreign-born workers, and potential investors is considered.
Marketa Lindt, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, recently testified to Congress on the significance of the issue: “Increasingly, talented international professionals choose destinations other than the United States to avoid the uncertain environment” caused by the immigration policies of the Trump administration.
This series of articles will address these trends, and ponder how they may impact the United States’ economy, and the United States’ standing in global affairs. Already, the impact is clear: Trump’s policies have led to a severe divestment from the United States economy. This capital—in both the human and financial sense—has been funneled away from the United States and towards our competitors.
There is no doubt that foreign workers–especially highly-skilled professionals like scientists and engineers–are important contributors to the United States economy. Recent economic research confirms that they boost United States productivity, perfectly complement native-born workers, and lead to vital innovation in various sectors of the economy. Other studies corroborate that foreign-born students and immigrant investors, as well, contribute substantially to the United States’ economic productivity. But now, despite the overwhelming evidence that confirms their importance to our economy, the Trump administration has made it harder for these workers, investors, and students to immigrate to and remain in the United States.
Canada, in particular, has become the destination of choice since Trump took power in 2017. The exodus of immigrants to Canada comes as no surprise: Canada’s liberal and tolerant immigration policies stand in stark contrast to the stringent policies of the United States. Recently, in an effort to lure highly-skilled workers to the country, Canada has streamlined their employment immigration processes. Now, more than ever before, Canada has begun to rival the United State’s supremacy in the foreign-labor market. If this trend continues, it could spell disaster for the United States’ economy.
All told, these trends highlight the disparaging effect Trump’s policies have had on the United States’ standing in global affairs. These trends, if left unchecked, may come to cripple the United States economy. Highly-skilled immigrants, immigrant investors, and foreign students comprise an integral part of the United States’ economy. As these individuals begin to look elsewhere for their education, employment, or investment, enormous sums of capital will be siphoned from the United States economy. If these trends continue, the United States’ standing as an economic powerhouse could be put in jeopardy.
This series of articles will examine these trends, devoting a weekly article to the various facets of the phenomenon. To begin, we will track how Trump’s hostility towards immigration, writ large, has led foreign students to look elsewhere in pursuit of higher-educational opportunities. Next, we will address how Trump’s policies—including the treatment of H-1B visas, and the Travel Ban—have had a chilling effect on highly skilled employment-immigration. Finally, we will demonstrate how Trump’s treatment of investor-immigrant policies has led to a chronic divestment from the United States’ economy.
Throughout the series, we will pay particular attention to the United States’ immigration policies in juxtaposition to those of Canada. As the United States deters would-be immigrants, how has Canada attracted highly-skilled immigrants, immigrant investors, and foreign students? And, critically, what does this mean for the United States’ ability to compete economically in future?”