I imagine a classroom where the brightest minds from around the world gather, not in the United States, though, but in Ireland, Canada or Germany. Picture companies across Europe and Asia thriving, not because of their homegrown talent, but because they welcomed the scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs who once came to America, this isn’t a distant possibility. It’s our near future with Donald Trump’s team moving forward with his immigration policies, immigrants have long been the backbone of American innovation. They make up 16% of the inventor workforce and contribute 23% of all patents. Immigrants founded well 55% of US startups valued at over $1 billion and they or their children founded two thirds of the country’s unicorn companies. These are the people driving our economy forward from Silicon Valley to Main Street, but Trump’s policies tell immigrants you’re not welcome here, and as a result, a number of individuals who are documented and undocumented are self deporting. They’re leaving the United States, and they’re taking their talents with them, because who wants to contribute their potential to innovate, create and build a country that dehumanizes their very existence, and this is exactly what Trump had planned. His proposals aren’t just targeting undocumented immigrants. They aim to curtail legal immigration, end programs like temporary protected status, and discourage international students from attending our universities. These policies aren’t just cruel, they’re short sighted. Immigrants contribute 1.6 trillion annually to our economy and pay over 579

billion in taxes, deportations or self deportations don’t just shrink communities, they shrink our GDP, the estimated suggested losses are up to 7% by 2028

beyond dollars. Let’s talk about intellectual loss students who once dreamed of attending American schools where they’re choosing other universities in other countries. And why? Well, because they fear policies that strip away their rights or question their humanity. These students, they are future doctors, researchers, innovators, and they’re settling in other nations. Their breakthroughs well, they’re going to build other economies, not ours. This brain drain won’t just hurt immigrant communities here. It’s going to hurt us. All. American born workers benefit from immigration. Research shows immigration doesn’t significantly lower wages, but grows industries, creates jobs and drives innovation in sectors like health care and tech. Immigration, well, it fills critical gaps, ensuring that our hospitals run smoothly, our software stays cutting edge. So what can we do? Well, we have to reject policies rooted in fear and false narratives. Immigrants are not an invasion, they’re an investment in our shared future. We must demand humane immigration policies that welcome talent, foster innovation and uphold our values, support organizations that advocate for immigrant rights, challenge the rhetoric that dehumanizes those seeking a better life, be pro immigration. America’s strength lies in its diversity. For centuries, people from every corner of the globe came here believing in the promise of We the People, if we turn them away now, we don’t just lose their contributions, we lose who we are.