Merry Christmas, GO HOME!

Dear U.S. Government and Fellow Citizens,

This festive holiday season, a disheartening message echoes through the halls of our innovative startup, Iterate.ai: “Merry Christmas, Go Home.” This is the stark reality facing two of our brightest minds in artificial intelligence (AI) – young inventors, educated in America, now being told to leave. Go home.

One is from Sri Lanka, the other from India; both are proud alumni of American universities, boasting GPAs of 3.96 and 4.0. They are representative of the backbone of Iterate.ai, holding advanced degrees in AI and Machine Learning. Both personify the spirit of innovation that we cherish.

We at Iterate.ai are perplexed. After years of contributing to America’s technology and AI landscape, pioneering patents like Drag-n-Drop AI, and embodying the ethos of American innovation, they face a jarring directive: “GO HOME.”

This is not just their story; it is an American narrative. Startups like ours thrive on such talents as a way to stay at the forefront of global innovation. Our clients, which have more than $150 billion in combined market capitalization, thrive on these people’s skills. Our formal partners, which are valued collectively in the trillions, lean on our Iterate team to help them optimize technical inventions. 

To thrive as a country, we all need these people. The statistics are telling – over 24% of U.S. tech startups are founded by immigrants; this number rises to 55% in billion-dollar startups and a striking 65% in top AI firms. If you look at the papers written to advance AI, the authors are often immigrants. The co-founder of Iterate.ai moved from Sri Lanka to Silicon Valley at 24, where he earned Master's Degrees in Computer Science and Business. He joined Apple’s team, which helped him get his citizen status. Apple named him on a patent for the first iPhone, which he helped invent before starting Iterate.ai.

The departure of these experts isn’t just a loss of skilled employees; we view it as a severing of deep-rooted, five-year-old relationships. We stand to lose friends and colleagues who have been integral to our journey, sharing in our struggles which have led to great triumphs.

Consider the broader picture: startups are the lifeblood of American innovation, yet they operate in a high-risk environment where immigration policies add unnecessary hurdles. Between 75% and 90% of startups fail, meaning founders need to be tolerant of risk. This is an innate character trait of many immigrants. America benefits by accepting those who leave friends and families 1,000s of miles away in search of opportunities here. For a startup like Iterate.ai, retaining this skilled, risk-tolerant talent is mission-critical. The United States is a country of immigrants who have long brought their talents and skills with them when coming to this country, yet today, we face a different scenario.

Our Iterate.ai team is diverse – 70 of our 102 employees work abroad, and we speak 27 different languages. But it's those educated in American institutions that we speak for today. They are not just employees; they are aspiring Americans keen to contribute to the country that educated them.

In their quest to maintain legal work status, they have demonstrated exceptional qualities. Yet, to stay, they need to be both lucky and establish that they have met specific qualifications, which we believe and know our two employees have. Here are some of the qualifications immigration officers use to evaluate our employees before granting permission to stay and work permanently in the United States:

1. Named on Patents: They are named on multiple AI-related patents assigned to Iterate.ai. Their innovations are recognized by the U.S. Patent Office, adding value to the American technological landscape.
   
   
2. Author of Prestigious Academic Papers: They contribute to the academic community, enhancing America’s standing in global research.
   
   
3. Recognized Industry Experience: Their work has pushed the boundaries of AI and machine learning. Iterate’s two employees check this box.
   
   
4. Leadership in Professional Societies: They are active members of societies that drive technological advancement.
   
   
5. Significant Contributions to Open Source Projects: Their work benefits a broader community of developers and innovators.
   
   
6. Awards and Honors: Their achievements have been recognized, reflecting their commitment to their field. They've helped our clients (big American businesses) win awards, too.

Their stories are testimonies of dedication and skill. Yet, the response they receive from the United States is disheartening: “Go Home.”

Our commitment to supporting them is unwavering, but the hurdles are daunting. Waitlists to become a citizen can be ten years long, and for others, there isn’t even a path to citizenship. Even if you qualify, you need to win a lottery, so luck is involved, not solely merit. The Trump administration purposefully made salary requirements higher for hiring an immigrant, which undermines the free and innovative economic system we claim to value in the United States. We battle to retain these talents, only to be met with an inflexible system that seems to undermine our efforts. 

We can’t lose our talent. We shouldn’t have to say: “Merry Christmas. GO HOME.” 

So, we ask, what is the rationale behind educating and nurturing such exceptional talent, only to send them away? Why deprive our nation of the very skills we helped hone?

We at Iterate.ai stand at a crossroads, witnessing the paradox of American immigration and innovation.

We appeal for a reevaluation of these policies, not just for the benefit of our company, but for the future of American innovation and leadership in technology.

Talent is everything. We implore our leaders to recognize this. Let’s not send our best and brightest away with a “Merry Christmas. GO HOME.” message. Instead, let’s celebrate this holiday season by embracing the diversified talents that enrich our country and keep the United States at the top as an economic force of ingenuity, innovation, and new ideas. In a world of fences and walls, let’s build a longer table and welcome the ambitious and inventive people who want to be American citizens.

Sincerely,

~ Brian Sathianathan, Co-Founder, Iterate.ai
~ Jon Nordmark, Co-Founder, Iterate.ai