America is sabotaging itself in the global battle for talent
Some countries are much more serious about attracting the highly skilled
![Graduate walking along a red carpet through an airport](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240817_LDD001_FH.jpg)
Who said the following? “You graduate from a college, I think you should get, automatically as part of your diploma, a green card [permanent residence in the United States].” The surprising answer is Donald Trump. Whether he meant it or not—and his record in office suggests not—his words suggest that even a nativist politician understands, at some level, that highly skilled foreigners can be useful.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Footloose and fancy degree”
Leaders August 17th 2024
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