Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said Sunday that the U.S. needs to overhaul its immigration policy to retain top talent because it “makes no sense to educate” highly skilled researchers at federally subsidized universities only to force many to leave the country.
Ackman Says US Is Sending Talent Abroad
Ackman said the U.S. should admit top creators so they can build businesses and create economic value domestically, arguing the country’s immigration system is working against its own interests.
“We need to fix our immigration policy so we can admit the creators so they can build on American soil and create value here,” Ackman said in a post on X.
We need to fix our immigration policy so we can admit the creators so they can build on American soil and create value here. In particular, it makes no sense to educate the best and brightest at Federally subsidized educational institutions and then send them home. https://t.co/m7Fxfcvgw2
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) July 19, 2026
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AI Scientist’s Experience Highlights The Issue
Ackman was responding to a post from a senior scientist at Baidu Inc, who said U.S. immigration restrictions forced him to turn down a Stanford University offer and pursue his doctorate at Oxford instead.
The scientist, who was born in China, said he later qualified for an EB-1A extraordinary ability green card but remains caught in a country-specific backlog, while receiving multiple recruitment offers from China promising high salaries, housing and research funding.
Immigration Backlogs Remain A Key Challenge
The U.S. immigration system places annual caps on several employment-based visas and green cards, leaving many highly skilled workers from countries such as India and China facing years-long waits for permanent residency.
Ackman’s comments echoed a similar appeal he made on Friday, when he said that visas for highly skilled immigrants whose values align with the country’s long-term interests should be fast-tracked, while publicly urging immigration officials to help a young woman whose case had been highlighted online.
Our immigration policies need to be reformed to allow the best and brightest to be educated in the USA and stay here to create value for our country. As long as their values are aligned with the long-term interests of our country, their visas should be fast tracked.
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) July 17, 2026
Can someone… https://t.co/stBMQ3wcex
President Donald Trump’s administration is also reportedly considering a $100,000 bond for certain green card applicants as part of a broader push to tighten immigration rules and promote immigrant self-sufficiency.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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