Infographic – Immigrants Boost High-Value U.S. Start-Ups

Origin of immigrant entrepreneurs starting new companies valued at $1 billion or more. Click on image for full-size view. (Statista)

2 June 2018. The Department of Homeland Security this week proposed ending the International Entrepreneur Rule that allows immigrant entrepreneurs to start new businesses in the U.S. The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, whether illegal or not, alarms our top universities where foreign-born researchers conduct much of their science, as we’ve reported in Science & Enterprise, and now that crackdown is being extended to people starting new businesses.

This weekend’s infographic, from our friends at Statista, shows the potential impact of this action. Based on data from 2016, about half — 44 of 87 — U.S. start-ups valued at $1 billion or more were founded by immigrants, with India providing the largest number of these entrepreneurs. The National Foundation for American Policy that prepared the report says each of these new enterprises creates some 760 jobs. While this issue may not have the emotional pull of other Trump immigration policies, it suggests factors other than good business sense are at work.

More from Science & Enterprise:

• Global Health R&D Cuts Threaten U.S. Economy, Jobs
• Survey: More Research Patents, Start-Ups in 2016
• Infographic – America’s Immigration Advantages

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