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Fortune
Fortune
Tristan Bove

Trump's immigration crackdown is causing the U.S. to lose its best STEM talent—and it cost the economy almost $500 billion

President Donald Trump pictured in September 2025 signing an executive order that overhauled the H-1B visa program. (Credit: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

U.S. colleges are dealing with plummeting international student enrollment, and the consequences could go far beyond shrinking tuition revenue.

International students have become less likely to pursue education in the U.S. since President Donald Trump’s return to office. The administration has introduced more restrictive anti-immigration policies, including measures that explicitly target foreign-born students, and tightened rules about post-schooling employment for international graduates.

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