What smart people are saying about the new green card crackdown

• Trump’s new policy could force many immigrants to apply for green cards from outside the US.
• USCIS may grant exceptions for immigrants who offer economic benefits or serve national interests.
• Experts say Trump’s policy could disrupt mixed-status families and long-term visa holders.

“We need to keep smart people in the country to build the future and build tomorrow’s businesses that employ millions of people,” he wrote on X.

Ash Jogalekar

Ash Jogalekar, a Microsoft senior project manager working on agentic AI, described the memorandum as “self-sabotage” in an X post on Friday.

“As a scientist and immigrant who loves this country, I cannot think of worse ways to cripple American scientific competitiveness while other countries surge ahead,” Jogalekar wrote. “It is completely pointless. Between the funding cuts and rash, irrational policies like these, China could not have done worse if they had decided to sabotage science in the U.S.”

Jason Calacanis

Jason Calacanis, investor and co-host of the All-In podcast, said in an X post on Saturday that the US should encourage more immigration in response to the administration’s new green card policy.

“America’s goal should be to expand our Empire,” he wrote. “Be it immigration, acquisition or invitation, if you believe we have the best system then you should embrace expansion.”

The investor also posted a clip of an interview All-In did with Trump in 2024, during which the president said college graduates should “automatically” get a green card.

“More green cards for extremely talented immigrants!” Calacanis wrote in the post. “Strong agree President Trump.”