❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has called for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop issuing work permits to foreign graduates, citing harm to U.S. job seekers and national security risks.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senator Chuck Grassley, DHS, U.S. graduates, foreign workers, and corporate employers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Grassley issued his statement via a letter on September 23, 2023, addressing policies implemented nationwide.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)… is issuing hundreds of thousands of work authorizations to student visa holders in direct violation of the law,” said Grassley.
🎯IMPACT: The work permits are displacing American graduates from white-collar jobs, raising unemployment rates, and posing risks of technological espionage.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is pushing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end two work permit programs allowing foreigners to be employed in white-collar jobs sought by native-born U.S. college graduates. In a September 23 letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Grassley contends the work permit programs are likely unlawful. Their status is currently being litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)… is issuing hundreds of thousands of work authorizations to student visa holders in direct violation of the law,” Grassley wrote in the letter to Sec. Noem. He also warned that the authorizations jeopardize national security, noting that over 33,000 Chinese student visa holders with STEM work permits are working in sensitive tech positions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has previously flagged China’s systematic theft of intellectual property through such channels.
The work permit programs, known as Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT), were established under former President George W. Bush. While advocates claim the permits are educational extensions for foreign students, critics argue they displace American graduates from career-starting positions in Fortune 500 companies. In 2024, former President Joe Biden’s DHS issued 400,000 such permits, with many recipients seeking H-1B visas for long-term employment in the U.S.
Grassley expressed concern for young Americans, particularly in Midwest states where job opportunities are dwindling. “The Federal Reserve recently found that ‘the unemployment rate of males ages 22 to 27 is roughly the same, whether or not they hold a degree.’ Recent STEM graduates face higher unemployment rates than the general population,” Grassley wrote. He also pointed out that Congress capped employment visas to prioritize American workers, a measure undermined by these programs.
Despite these concerns, business groups continue to defend the programs, claiming increased stockholder value and cost savings. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also defended the legality of granting work permits through such programs.
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