H-1B workers, AI, and D.E.I: the concerns of the tech sector pre-election

Originally written November 4, 2024.

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In an appearance on the business-oriented "All-In" podcast this past June, Donald Trump promised that, if he were re-elected President, he would give green cards to international students upon graduating from a U.S. college. The vow appears to have succeeded in engendering support for the GOP nominee among some in the tech space, according to Victoria Ter-Ovanesyan, co-founder of Imera, an AI-driven technology company created to assist immigrants with their transition into the United States.

The pressure H-1B visa holders feel to either keep or find a job in the wake of massive

tech-layoffs and avoid deportation has apparently taken precedence over objections to Trump’s anti-immigrant track record. The H-1B visa requires its holder to find a new job 60 days after their current employment is terminated. “I think it indicates how desperate people are,” Ter-Ovanesyan says. “It demonstrates the lack of attention immigrants are getting.”

Talent acquisition is at the top of mind for tech employers, and the question of where the

talent is going to come from and how much the acquisitions will cost follows right after, says

Doug Binette, director of the NY Tech Alliance, a not-for-profit focused on promoting diversity

in New York City’s tech community. For the tech sector, the answer to this question is directly

tied to immigration policy.

According to layoffs.fyi, 479 tech companies, including tech giants like Amazon, Google,

and Meta have laid off 141,467 employees in the past year alone. “Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services” industries have had the greatest number of H-1B, the visa program that was created with the intention of filling labor shortages in professional fields, approvals since 2009. While there is no specific data regarding the percentage of U.S. citizens versus visa holders making up the number of layoffs, anecdotally many H-1B visa holders are being laid off.

Instagram, a Meta company's headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, USA - June 8, 2023. Meta is one of the tech companies that laid off employees in 2024. Photo credits: JHVEPhoto

For some tech professionals, layoffs aren’t a concern but an expected result of the AI

boom, following the initial release of ChatGPT in 2022. Andrew McGrath, owner and operator of ListingAI, an AI tool for real estate agents to make marketing materials, regularly utilizes AI for his software development projects. McGrath uses AI to complete tasks he previously would have hired additional help for, such as producing artwork for visual design elements, addressing architectural issues in software, and even getting feedback on his work. While he lives in Ontario, McGrath feels invested in the outcome of the U.S. election and its effect on the country’s economy—90% of his clients are in the United States. Stable governance in the U.S. is his hope for the future, and he cites Trump’s presidency as an era of instability. “It’s not a good environment to do business in or be [the U.S.'s] neighbor,” McGrath says.

Other concerns cited by tech professionals include choosing a candidate who advocates

for women’s rights. Mehboob Alam has been working in tech for 30 years. He is based in New York and is currently working as an advisor to several small tech startups, assisting with

technical strategy, customer engagement, and sales. Over his career, he has noticed a pushback regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and a common mindset among technologists that they should “let the cream bubble to the top,” meaning the best and talented women will make their way to executive positions in tech without sponsorship from their colleagues. “I disagree,” Alam says. “I can see inherent biases and the old boys club at play.” Alam is concerned that the country will elect a candidate that will perpetuate these biases, ultimately worsening the gender imbalance in the tech field.

The technology workers interviewed for this article were scattered geographically—one

in California, one in Canada, and three in New York. While they each listed separate issues they were keeping an eye out for in this year’s collection, the undertone of their responses remained the same. They seem to want a presidency that would encourage stability, whether it be in regard to the immigration process, the use of AI, or women's rights.