Trump’s Catastrophic War on Global Talent

America is just beginning to tally the cost of our catastrophic, self-inflicted wound. During Trump 1.0 and Trump 2.0, by assaulting immigration and global engagement, we have also banned and discouraged the globe’s most talented students from being educated here, hurting ourselves and our economy. After green shoots of recovery under Joe Biden, the data reveal the profound price we’re paying.  

America’s economic engine of international education is powerful. According to data from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, for the 2022-2023 academic year, the most recent available, international students contributed more than $40 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 368,000 jobs. Ground zero for this war on talent is California. In the Golden State alone, this meant over $6 billion in economic activity. These talented international students, often paying full-freight tuition, keep our magnificent University of California and Cal State systems affordable for in-state students. It is the rent paid to local landlords, the money spent in our small businesses, and the funding that fuels our advanced research labs.  READ MORE