Trump Immigration Policies Hit Climate Tech Talent Pipeline, Khosla Says
The billionaire venture capitalist said the Middle East, India and Europe are among the places that will benefit from the president’s crackdown on immigration.
Vinod Khosla on stage at Bloomberg Green Seattle.
Photographer: Jason Redmond/BloombergBeyond rolling back federal support for clean energy and boosting fossil fuels, immigration policies put in place by President Donald Trump’s administration also threaten the climate tech sector — and other countries stand to benefit. That’s according to tech billionaire Vinod Khosla, who spoke Tuesday at the Bloomberg Green Seattle conference.
Under Trump, the US has undertaken sweeping immigration crackdowns that have instilled fear and uncertainty among workers from abroad, including those on visas for highly skilled workers. Trump’s administration continues to ramp up actions, including adding 60 new facilities to detain immigrants. That has resulted in a significant brain drain from the US, which will have a lasting impact on the climate tech industry and energy transition, said the founder of Khosla Ventures, which invests in startups, including those focused on cutting emissions.