🚨Today, I sent a letter to @SecMullinDHS urging him to terminate OPT, STEM-OPT, and CPT.
The story of these programs is simple: Big Tech chose to lobby the deep state for foreign labor rather than pay fair wages to Americans.
Here's how it happened. 🧵
The story of these programs is simple: Big Tech chose to lobby the deep state for foreign labor rather than pay fair wages to Americans.
Here's how it happened. 🧵
Since 1947, government programs have existed to provide foreign students with opportunities to have brief internship-like experiences.
But in 1992, the Bush administration quietly transformed those programs into the modern OPT, allowing foreigners to stay in the US and work for a full year.
But in 1992, the Bush administration quietly transformed those programs into the modern OPT, allowing foreigners to stay in the US and work for a full year.
That wasn’t enough.
By 2007, the H-1B visa cap was limiting Microsoft’s access to cheap foreign labor.
At a dinner party in 2007, a Microsoft lobbyist proposed to DHS Secretary Chertoff that the H-1B problem could be circumvented by extending OPT's duration.
By 2007, the H-1B visa cap was limiting Microsoft’s access to cheap foreign labor.
At a dinner party in 2007, a Microsoft lobbyist proposed to DHS Secretary Chertoff that the H-1B problem could be circumvented by extending OPT's duration.
It worked.
The 2008 Chertoff rule extended STEM OPT by 17 months without any public notice or Congressional approval.
Nearly 8 years later, the Obama administration extended OPT again, bringing the total time foreigners could remain in America after graduating to 36 months.
The 2008 Chertoff rule extended STEM OPT by 17 months without any public notice or Congressional approval.
Nearly 8 years later, the Obama administration extended OPT again, bringing the total time foreigners could remain in America after graduating to 36 months.
The result? Today, nearly 450,000 foreigners hold jobs that should belong to Americans.
Big Tech loves this arrangement.
Foreigners accept lower wages.
They can’t job-hop or demand a promotion.
And almost every single one of them is exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes, saving billions.
Foreigners accept lower wages.
They can’t job-hop or demand a promotion.
And almost every single one of them is exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes, saving billions.
The higher-ed industrial complex loves it too. Some schools have even created an entire scheme to profit off of the CPT program, which allows students to work full time while they’re enrolled.
At one university in Pennsylvania, for example, hundreds of foreigners fly in for only a handful of Saturday sessions each year, completing coursework online while working full time.
This transforms graduate programs into extra years of U.S. work authorization for foreigners.
At one university in Pennsylvania, for example, hundreds of foreigners fly in for only a handful of Saturday sessions each year, completing coursework online while working full time.
This transforms graduate programs into extra years of U.S. work authorization for foreigners.
Meanwhile, Americans - especially young Americans - are being left behind.
More than half of recent graduates are still looking for full-time work, compared to just 1 in 4 people in earlier generations.
Young people without college degrees aren’t faring much better. They are even more likely to be unemployed.
More than half of recent graduates are still looking for full-time work, compared to just 1 in 4 people in earlier generations.
Young people without college degrees aren’t faring much better. They are even more likely to be unemployed.
This is unacceptable. We can prevent it too.
On paper, these programs are a sweet deal: foreign students get “practical training” in their fields before heading back home.
In reality, they're a critical part of the cheap foreign labor pipeline — a bridge between temporary student visas and longer-term H1-B status.
On paper, these programs are a sweet deal: foreign students get “practical training” in their fields before heading back home.
In reality, they're a critical part of the cheap foreign labor pipeline — a bridge between temporary student visas and longer-term H1-B status.
Because these programs were created without Congress and rely solely on DHS’ regulatory authority, @SecMullinDHS has all the authority he needs to terminate the OPT, Stem-OPT, and CPT programs.
Doing so would be a service to every American.
Doing so would be a service to every American.
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