Americans Tour the World—But Won’t Let It In
Even as Americans travel freely, U.S. policy is forcing out students, scholars, and entrepreneurs. The cost to our economy and society is steep.
The latest issue of Worth is devoted to the art of travel—a celebration of the journeys that expand our horizons and deepen our understanding of the world. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of visiting the serene beaches of the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica, the glamour of Monaco, the charm of Nice, the vibrancy of Barcelona, and the warmth of Barbados. Each destination offered a new lens through which to view culture, community, and possibility.
Travel, especially international travel, is an incredible privilege. Americans enjoy an unparalleled freedom to cross borders, often without a second thought. And yet, we are increasingly denying the same privilege to others who wish to visit our country, study here, build businesses here, or even reside here.
Recent U.S. policies have made it more difficult for foreign nationals to enter or remain in the United States. The Trump administration’s most recent expansion of its travel ban now blocks entry from 12 countries, disproportionately targeting students and professionals from regions with which we once eagerly built partnerships.
Meanwhile, international students, who contributed over $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2023-2024 academic year, are facing heightened scrutiny. New visa restrictions, arbitrary revocations, and even politically motivated deportations are driving many of the world’s top students and scholars away. Cases like those of Columbia University students Yunseo Chung and Mahmoud Khalil, both legal permanent residents targeted for deportation over protected political expression, are alarming signals that our openness is eroding.
The consequences extend well beyond individual lives. We are witnessing the beginnings of an academic brain drain. A recent Nature poll found that 75% of U.S.-based scientists are now considering leaving the country due to the political climate and visa uncertainty. Entire research programs are losing talent they spent years cultivating.
That loss will not be easily replaced. America has long been the world’s most attractive destination for knowledge workers and entrepreneurs. Nearly half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, including Apple, Google, and Moderna. These firms have generated trillions in revenue and created tens of millions of jobs worldwide. Their founders did not merely visit the U.S.—they chose to stay, build, and contribute.
In today’s Fortune 500, nearly 10% of CEOs are foreign-born—many of them rising through the ranks of companies that embraced global talent. Leaders like Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Google), and Arvind Krishna (IBM) are potent reminders that America’s competitiveness depends on keeping its doors open.
Yet today, would those same individuals choose the U.S.? Increasingly, talented students, scientists, and entrepreneurs are choosing Canada, Europe, and Asia instead—places where visas are more predictable, academic freedom is protected, and immigrant contributions are welcomed.
And it isn’t just about scientists and CEOs. Working-class immigrants have also been a net positive for the U.S. economy. Immigrants fill critical gaps in sectors ranging from construction and agriculture to hospitality and elder care—industries that are currently experiencing acute labor shortages. According to a 2023 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, immigrant workers increase U.S. GDP by an estimated 2% annually and contribute more in taxes over their lifetimes than they consume in public benefits.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that 70% of job growth in recent years has been attributed to immigrant labor. The American Immigration Council found that immigrants contributed $492.4 billion in taxes and had $1.4 trillion in spending power in 2021 alone. In short, immigrants—at every level of the economy—don’t take jobs; they grow markets and strengthen the nation’s economic fabric.
As we enjoy the privilege of global travel, let’s remember the strategic value of keeping our doors open. Welcoming the smartest, hardest-working, and yes, sometimes most desperate people from across the globe is the foundation of the American experiment.
It is what made America great in the first place.
How AI and Robotics Are Augmenting the Operating Room
Medtronic’s Bill Peine and Asensus Surgical Dr. Ed Chekan explain why robotic-assisted surgery isn’t replacing doctors — it’s making them smarter, faster, and more precise.
📰 More Reading
1. Group of high-profile authors sue Microsoft over use of their books in AI training
A coalition of authors, including Kai Bird and Jia Tolentino, filed suit against Microsoft in New York federal court, claiming that the company used nearly 200,000 pirated digital books to train its Megatron AI without permission. They seek injunctive relief and damages, reigniting debates around copyright and training data (theguardian.com)
2. Meta wins AI copyright lawsuit as US judge rules against authors
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled in favor of Meta, stating that plaintiffs failed to show market harm from using pirated books to train its Llama AI. The decision doesn’t render Meta’s data practices lawful but represents a significant win for AI developers (theguardian.com.)
3. AI returns have not yet justified investment mania
A Financial Times analysis reveals that despite $95 billion in AI cap‑ex last year (and $75 billion forecast for 2025), monetization remains weak: Microsoft’s AI contributes only ~5% of its revenue, OpenAI subscription revenue is ~$10 billion, and only 3% of users pay for chatbots (ft.com.)
4. AI is ruining houseplant communities online
The Verge reports on how AI-generated plant images—like pastel-colored monstera—are flooding plant groups, leading to misinformation, fake seed sales, and distrust among enthusiasts (theverge.com.)
5. 🔍 New AI warning: AI-driven emissions may hit 3.4% of global volume
Axios warns AI data centers could account for 3.4% of global CO₂ emissions by 2030, with water consumption rivaling Norway’s annual usage. It suggests a "Sustainability‑Adjusted Intelligence Quotient" to balance efficiency with environmental impact (axios.com.)
6. OpenAI boss accuses Meta of trying to poach staff with $100 million sign-on bonuses
The Guardian notes Sam Altman claims Meta is offering massive sign‑on packages to lure OpenAI talent, underscoring the heated talent war in AI (theguardian.com.)
7. Meta hires key OpenAI researcher to work on AI reasoning models
TechCrunch reports Meta has recruited a prominent AI reasoning researcher from OpenAI, signaling a push to boost its models’ reasoning capabilities (techcrunch.com.)
8. We Are Still Underreacting on AI (Substack)
Pete Buttigieg explores in his Substack post how U.S. institutions are lagging in addressing AI’s societal and strategic implications (petebuttigieg.substack.com)
9. One Useful Thing: AI implications on work, education, life (Substack)
Ethan Mollick’s Substack emphasizes practical reflections on how AI is shaping human systems, from classrooms to corporate workflows (oneusefulthing.org)
10. AI Newsletter: Top AI Papers of the Week (June 16–22)
Elvis Saravia’s Substack digest compiles cutting-edge papers spanning AI agents, Gemini 2.5, and benchmarks—an essential read for staying current with foundational research at (nlp.elvissaravia.com.)