US President-elect Donald Trump‘s recent appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has sparked intense debate online. While Krishnan brings a wealth of experience in the tech world, including leadership roles at Meta, Twitter/X, and Microsoft, as well as a history of successful investments in companies like SpaceX and Figma, many Americans are questioning the implications of his appointment, particularly his views on immigration and the expansion of the H-1B visa program.
Krishnan, a former General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, has been vocal about expanding the H-1B visa program and removing country cap quotas for Green Cards.
In a recent viral post on X, he outlined several policy proposals aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship in the US, which included creating a visa category specifically for startup founders and entrepreneurs, as well as allowing H-1B visa holders to start companies.
These proposals have fueled concern among critics, who argue that such moves may harm American workers and prioritize immigration over domestic interests.
One critic on X wrote, “This is America last behavior. H-1Bs are already being abused at scale – and this is going to make it worse.” Others echoed similar sentiments, pointing to Krishnan’s focus on immigration reform as a potential threat to the American job market. “Sriram Krishna’s pet issue is expanding the H-1B visa program,” one user said, adding that this was “not America First at all.”
Some commenters expressed concern that Krishnan’s influence would extend beyond the realm of AI and technology policy, potentially spilling over into broader immigration and economic policy. One user warned, “Let’s pray their influence is limited to STEM and does not spill into immigration policy. H-1B expansion would be as damaging to the USA as NAFTA or letting China into the WTO.”
Others criticized Trump for repeating past mistakes, with one user lamenting, “Donald Trump failed to address this during his last presidency and looks to be failing again.” The backlash has intensified following Krishnan’s own social media posts, where he openly advocated for measures such as fast-tracking green cards for technical fields and incentivizing angel investing through tax credits.
However, there were also those who defended Krishnan’s policies, highlighting the importance of attracting skilled workers and fostering innovation. A supporter of Krishnan’s proposals wrote, “Skilled workers from overseas build phenomenal American companies and end up being top-tier Americans who envision the American dream.”
Some argued that the rhetoric surrounding Krishnan’s immigration stance was misguided, especially in the context of America’s need to maintain its competitive edge in the global tech economy.