TLDR: Recent shifts in U.S. immigration policy, particularly a new executive order on AI leadership, are raising concerns that the nation’s ability to attract and retain top global AI talent is being jeopardized. This could undermine American leadership in artificial intelligence, despite the significant role immigrants play in founding and staffing leading AI companies.
A recent analysis by Judy Wang and Nicole Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution, published on August 10, 2025, highlights a critical shift in U.S. immigration policy that could impede American leadership in artificial intelligence. The report, featured on PYMNTS.com, indicates that while former President Donald Trump previously signaled a willingness to liberalize immigration for AI talent, his administration’s latest executive order on AI leadership notably omits any provisions for easing immigration restrictions.
This new order, focused on removing ‘barriers to American leadership in artificial intelligence’ and directing the creation of an AI Action Plan, effectively repeals a prior order from President Biden that explicitly prioritized attracting global AI talent. This policy divergence is a cause for concern among major tech figures, many of whom are first-generation immigrants themselves, who have consistently advocated for more open visa policies to secure top global talent.
Prominent leaders such as Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Aravind Srinivas have underscored the indispensable role of immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S. AI sector. Supporting this perspective, data from the National Foundation for American Policy reveals that a substantial 77% of leading U.S. AI companies were founded or co-founded by first- or second-generation immigrants. Furthermore, over half of U.S. billion-dollar startups boast immigrant founders, with a significant portion operating in AI and related technologies.
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International students are identified as a particularly vital component of the AI talent pipeline. The report notes that 42% of top U.S.-based AI companies were founded by individuals who initially arrived in the U.S. as international students. This reflects a broader trend where foreign students constitute 70% of full-time graduate enrollments in AI-related fields. Founders from India and China, in particular, have made profound contributions, establishing nine and eight, respectively, of the top 48 AI companies.
