Katie Drummond: I have to shop in a special hat store. Because my head is not really … I can’t wear it.
Lauren Goode: What is the name of this store?
Katie Drummond: I can’t wear normal hats.
Lauren Goode: Is it called Bobblehats?
Katie Drummond: No, I’m going to check it out. He comes from the Hat Oddojob. The last hat I bought was called Gigantic Running Hat. Just large hats.
Lauren Goode: Do you also have one called Gigantic Walking Hats?
Katie Drummond: Probably. Probably.
Lauren Goode: Oh.
Michael Heat: Oh, it’s too much.
Lauren Goode: All right.
Michael Heat: Should we fall into it?
Katie Drummond: Let’s do it.
Lauren Goode: Let’s do it.
Michael Heat: This is Wired Uncanny ValleyProgram about people, power and impact of the Silicon Valley. Today we will talk about the Trump administration policy regarding the immigration and the impact of these politicians on the technology industry. From the day of the first current immigration policy of the administration, the asylum was practically closed, the act on hostile aliens was cited to deport hundreds of people, and birthday citizenship is questioned in the American Supreme Court. The visas were under increased control. Wired recently informed how the process of submitting visa applications H-1B is becoming more and more hostile, and in last week the administration said that it would start to undo the student visas of some Chinese students who are currently studying in American schools. So today we will immerse ourselves with the effects of these changes to the technology industry, from the talent pipeline to future innovations. I am Michael Calore, director of consumer technology and culture here in Wired.
Lauren Goode: I am Lauren Goode. I am a senior correspondent Wired.
Katie Drummond: And I’m Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director Wired.
Michael Heat: I want to start us with focusing on how Trump’s administration dealt with student visas. Last week, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the administration would “aggressively” cancel visas for Chinese students. The Department of State said that he focuses on students in critical fields and those who have connections with the Chinese communist party, but also that it would generally improve control. The ambiguity of these guidelines meant that students, parents and universities in an emotional tail. What do we do with these latest achievements?
Lauren Goode: So two directives appeared last week and I’m sure we’ll hear more, but I think it’s both worth noting. First of all, the directive was sent to the US embassy around the world, telling them to stop fresh interviews for student visas and visitors, including V, M and J visas, until further notice. And this whole idea was that he was preparing to expand research and verify social media. Basically, the State Department will look much more on online activities of students, social media activities and this is considering as part of the interview process when they apply for a visa to the USA. It was already part of the application process, but now it will simply be expanded. We really don’t know what that means. The second was to withdraw visas for Chinese students, as you mentioned, Mike. And I really think that this is another tool for the current frosty war, which we have with China, whether with tariffs or such means, it is clear that the current administration wants to have an advantage. And in Wired we reported that if it continues, and the courts allow it, everything would have a significant impact on higher education, because about a quarter of the student’s population in the USA comes from China. And too, I think that many people are unaware, I personally did not realize until I started to conduct more research on this, foreign students often pay full tuition or close when they come here to the United States to school, which makes this economical life line of many of these universities, and in some sense helps to compensate for the costs of domestic students, American students who receive scholarship or receive studies or receive a part. I believe that it is generally perilous territory to start aiming at students under a specific citizenship for these alleged reasons for national security. There will be questions about how effective it is long -term, but also in the perspective of a potentially weakening of the American technology sector in the long term.