US immigration policies ‘not doing well,’ warns Jamie Dimon, ‘people come here to be Americans’

JP Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon pointed out that the immigration policies of the United States have been unsuccessful, citing it as an example of American policies that have not performed well.

“We don't do mortgage policies well, we didn't do immigration policies well, we don't do affordable housing policies well…we don't teach work skills properly,” Dimon said.

“People come here to be Americans, and it's the natural thing, freedom of speech and freedom of enterprise and freedom,” he added.

The JP Morgan Chase CEO made these comments during a conversation with Databricks CEO and Co-founder Ali Ghodsi at the Data AI Summit 2025 in San Francisco.

Why is US important?

Highlighting the importance of the United States for the rest of the world, Dimon said, “America is indispensable. It's not indispensable because we're better. It's indispensable because (we have) the best military in the world, the most prosperous nation in the world, the best economy in the world, the best technology, the roots of that technology, the freedoms we have. It’s what brought people here."

He further added, "America's role is indispensable. That role is economic, it's military, it's education, it's allowing people to come here, want to stay here, like more merit-based, which we should be doing. That's the most important thing."

Dimon noted that his grandparents immigrated from Greece and did not attend high school. His statement on immigration policies comes when the Donald Trump administration has initiated a major crackdown on foreigners living in the US, particularly illegal immigrants.

Comparison with China

While comparing China and the US, Dimon emphasised that American leadership is important to the health of the future free and democratic world.

He emphasised that America should strive to be a technological leader, remarking that “you do not want to give” nano chips to China, which could enhance their supersonic missiles. He also mentioned that when China decides to do something, “they put 50,000 engineers on it.”