We have a gigantic amount of unrealized talent in the US who never get to utilize their full potential because it's cheaper to hire H1s who have already been trained than to invest in US citizens. I will never lament losing out on a few H1s here and there as long as US citizens continue to get the short end of the stick.
yes, in some sense US citizens are second-tier. Businesses want to lower salaries and universities want to charge higher fees. So US citizens miss out on higher salaries and placement at universities in their own country because we create this myth that we need to keep bringing in more immigrants to continue to thrive. There's no evidence given that diversity/immigration is our greatest strength either but you're not allowed to question it. There's plenty of evidence we and other countries do fine without it.
If companies were truly desperate for developers, they'd strive to retain the older, experienced ones already in the business, who usually offer the benefit of uncomplicated legal status.
