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All-immigrant U.S. Physics Olympiad team sparks debate amid H-1B row
Social media users highlighted the members’ non-American background amid the recent H-1B visa rules by President Trump.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 24, Sep 2025
- 15:10 EDT
- 31
The 2025 World Champion USA Physics Team with President Trump at the White House / @mkratsios47 via X
An all-immigrant U.S. Physics Team that swept a record five golds at the 2025 International Physics Olympiad is stirring debate over immigration and the United States’ reliance on immigrant talent in scientific domains. The team, comprising second-generation immigrants, including an Indian, a Taiwanese, two Chinese, and a Russian, was celebrated at the White House on Sept. 22 by President Donald Trump.
The event was marked by the president presenting medals and a team cap and aimed to honor their “incredible genius.” However, the timing of the event has drawn sharp criticism from netizens, as it comes amid the Trump administration’s push for steep H-1B visa fee hikes and tighter immigration crackdowns—measures many warn could drive away the very minds that fuel America’s innovation edge.
Today @POTUS & @WHOSTP47 were proud to welcome the 2025 World Champion USA Physics Team to the @WhiteHouse!
— Director Michael Kratsios (@mkratsios47) September 22, 2025
These incredible geniuses DOMINATED at the International Physics Olympiad in July, bringing home a record FIVE gold medals — the greatest performance in team history. pic.twitter.com/ZmsNRHcz95
Some users highlighted their non-American backgrounds, asking, “Why immigrants make America great in one picture,” while others mocked the recent H-1B visa restrictions presented by Trump. A user pointed towards Trump’s smile in the picture, claiming that the President is aware of the team members being “products of H-1B.”
Him sitting and smiling very well knows that these are all products of H1B !!
— Akash Tiwari (@akashtiwari1007) September 23, 2025
Another user congratulated the team while also noting the irony of the event and claiming that the U.S. has been benefitting from the immigrant talent in the country, as none of the team members are of American descent.
That’s incredible for the team, huge congrats to all of them. And yeah, a little ironic, while the H1B news makes it harder for talent to come to the US, all five gold medalists are of Chinese, Indian, or Russian origin. Shows that the next generation of global talent is still…
— MD Fazal Mustafa (@the_mdfazal) September 23, 2025
The team comprising Agastya Goel, Allen Li, Joshua Wang, Feodor Yevtushenko, and Brian Zhang—made history at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), held in Paris, France, from July 17 to 25, 2025, by becoming the first team from any country to win all five gold medals in the competition's history.
This unprecedented sweep outperformed teams from 85 other countries, marking the greatest performance in U.S. Physics Team history and solidifying America's dominance in global STEM competitions.
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