There is no shortage of biologists. Pay and conditions in the life sciences is abysmal. The sausage factory relies on graduates for cheap labour.

So if foreign students knew the couldn't even get a poorly paid job after graduating, would they go elsewhere? Would this cause a collapse of the university pyramid scheme? Would labs have to start paying real living wages for staff?

Lots less science would get done in the short term. US universities would no longer get the best and the brightest from around the world. The size of departments would plummet. But in a few years the number of graduates wouldn't totally dwarf the number of jobs available. That might not be a bad thing.

Let's hope you are not in a life/death situation later in your life where you get some disease for which treatment could have been available earlier if that foreign student was "allowed" to stay and do the work in the USA...

All because of some delusional billionaire who is allowed (by us) to play his real life monopoly game.

The lack of graduate jobs in biology is one of the reasons why fewer Americans choose to study in the area, and often rapidly leave the field after graduation, usually with a massive student debt. Its extremely hostile to women, a career break is a career end. Its typical of America's decline in STEM fields.

So the system is so fundamentally broken it needs massive re-engineering. I don't think the trumpists have a clue about how to do it, nor care, but their magic 8-ball approach to reform will have an impact.

Let's hope we don't see any more of these ridiculous hypothetical, Rube Goldberg karma, curses disguised as well-wishes here on HN. All because Trump trolling has addled our brains to the point we can only perceive our own apocalyptic fever dreams.

Yeah, if only they came to the USA, received an incredible education, and then went back to where they came from and helped that country find or administer treatments for basic diseases that kill people in other countries.

received one of the most expensive educations in the world that effectively requires working in a first-world country to pay off after.

That's something to consider before matriculation. It's just as much a problem for Americans as it is for foreigners, so sympathy might be hard to find...

The difference of course is that if you come to a US university expecting to make US wages afterwards, that's one thing. If you suddenly get sent back to a third-world country, that's a totally different thing. The problem is America has effectively been selling these people a false bill of goods.

Has "America" been selling anything? Other than a few private schools like Boston University who view "international" students as their meal tickets, everyone here is largely indifferent to their presence. Meanwhile there are e.g. Chinese government programs to maximize Chinese study in USA.

As there is a shortage of jobs and overabundance of students, some of these students not being allowed to stay is not going to decrease the amount of people working in research.

But every decision made could have such a consequence. The US is still a more diverse country than most others with bright people everywhere. The universities have only so many space to accommodate students. We have no way to predict the future success of anyone. How can you not say in the same way that admitting a foreign student results in someone else local being denied an education who was "destined" to cure some disease?

You're misunderstanding the immigration system if you think you "need" to be on H-1B. H-1B is just one of many statuses you could get. O-1 is one that is perfectly appropriate for a brilliant PhD.

(Source: I am on an O-1)

A lot of people with core science backgrounds are working on h1b visas today in this country. This bill can really screw up a lot of lives.

I'd argue the situation already has. Untold hollowing out of American kid's futures to save a couple bucks on K-12 education and a bit on wages.

In what sense? Why are they entitled to a PhD?

Again, a lot of these people find positions on J-1, O-1, or cap-exempt H-1 visas.

Edit: you can downvote me but it'd be nice to explain why at least. I have a hard time understanding how raising the salary requirement for capped H-1B visas will affect core science PhD students.

O-1 is only awarded to an exceptional few.

In theory it should. In practice, I have anecdotal evidence that makes me believe you mostly need a convincing immigration lawyer.

Like any bureaucratic form, you just need to check the requirements boxes. There's spirit and practice. Not a whole lot of them get issued but a lot more than intended, though telling people to abuse an O-1 instead of an H-1B seems to be passing the buck.