Leaders | Footloose and fancy degree

America is sabotaging itself in the global battle for talent

Some countries are much more serious about attracting the highly skilled

Graduate walking along a red carpet through an airport
image: Kyle Ellingson

Who said the following? “You graduate from a college, I think you should get, automatically as part of your diploma, a green card [permanent residence in the United States].” The surprising answer is Donald Trump. Whether he meant it or not—and his record in office suggests not—his words suggest that even a nativist politician understands, at some level, that highly skilled foreigners can be useful.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Footloose and fancy degree”

From the August 17th 2024 edition

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