Katie Drummond: I had to shop at a specialty hat store. Because my head doesn’t actually…I can’t wear it.
Lauren Goode: What is the name of this store?
Katie Drummond: I can’t wear a normal hat.
Lauren Goode: Is it called Bobblehats?
Katie Drummond: No, I’m looking for it. This is a hat from the bizarre hat. The last hat I bought was called the “Big Running Hat”. Just a running hat.
Lauren Goode: Do you have a big hat called Big Hat?
Katie Drummond: perhaps. perhaps.
Lauren Goode: oh.
Michael Calore: Oh, too much.
Lauren Goode: OK
Michael Calore: Should we join?
Katie Drummond: let’s do it.
Lauren Goode: let’s do it.
Michael Calore: This is connected Incredible valleya program about the people of Silicon Valley, power and influence. Today, we will talk about the Trump administration’s policies around immigration and the impact of these policy preparations on the technology industry. As the first day of the current government’s immigration policy had been overhauled and the asylum process was nearly shut down, the obscure foreign enemy bill was invited to expel hundreds of people, while the U.S. Supreme Court challenged birthright citizenship. Visa has been subject to increased scrutiny. Wired recently reported on how the H-1B visa application process has become increasingly hostile, and last week the government said it would begin revoking student visas for some Chinese students currently studying in U.S. schools. So today we will dig deep into the impact these changes may have on the technology industry from talent channels to future innovations. I am Michael Calore, Director of Consumer Technology and Culture, Wired.
Lauren Goode: I’m Lauren Goode. I am a senior correspondent at Wired.
Katie Drummond: I am Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director of Wired.
Michael Calore: I want to start us by focusing on how the Trump administration handles student visas. Just last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the government would begin to “actively” revoke visas for Chinese students. The State Council said it will focus on students in key areas and those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, but it will usually only enhance the scrutiny in general. The ambiguity of these guidelines puts students, parents and college into an emotional end. How do we view these latest developments?
Lauren Goode: So, there were actually two directives last week and I’m sure we’ll hear more, but I think they’re both worth noting. The first is to send a directive to U.S. embassies around the world asking them to suspend any new interviews on student and visitor visas, including F, M and J visas until further notice. This whole idea is to expand social media screening and censorship preparations. So basically, the State Department will focus more on students’ online activities, social media activities, and think that when they apply for visas to the United States, they are part of their interview process. This is already part of the application process, but now it will be expanded. We really don’t know what this means. Another one you mentioned is that Mike revoked the visa for Chinese students. Actually, I think this is doing this, and it adds another tool to the current Cold War we are experiencing with China, whether it is related to tariffs or such measures, and it is clear that the current government wants to have the upper hand. What we report in Wired is that if this continues and allows the court to allow it, it will have a significant impact on higher education, as about a quarter of the international student population comes from China. And, I don’t think many people realize that I personally realize that until I started doing more research on this, international students often paid full tuition or approached schools when they went to school in the United States, which made it the economic life community of many of these universities, and also made the economic lifestyle of many universities and in some ways that helped cancel scholarships or get scholarships or get partially reduced costs for home students, and helped cancel these scholarships and part of them. I do think that, in general, it is dangerous to start targeting students of a specific nationality for these so-called national security reasons. There is another question about its long-term effectiveness, but in the long run, how this might weaken the U.S. technology sector.
