Meanwhile, as our technological competition with China heats up, the U.S. needs more students and teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies notes STEM proficiency in the United States has been declining since the 1980s. Grabbing all the young brain power we can from Russia can help.

Shortages in the areas we need undercut the argument of the anti-immigrant crowd that bringing in skilled Russians would take jobs away from Americans. In fact, immigrants would create them. The National Foundation for American Policy, a nonprofit think tank, noted that immigrants have founded or cofounded 55% of companies worth $1 billion or more – so-called “unicorn” companies. Perhaps the most current and prominent example here is Moscow-born Sergey Brin, whose Jewish family was welcomed here in 1979, when he was 6 years old. Brin went on to cofound Google.

America has benefited from Russian brains and creativity for generations. Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky is credited with inventing both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Vladimir Zworykin helped create the television set, which would eventually air movies produced by the Wonskolaser brothers, who came here and changed their name to the more American-sounding Warner Brothers.