Overview
- Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley sent a September 23 letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urging an end to work authorizations for F‑1 student visa holders.
- He argues the authorizations violate the Immigration and Nationality Act and cites Federal Reserve findings on unemployment and underemployment among recent U.S. graduates.
- The push targets programs such as Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training, with reports noting roughly 400,000 recent multi‑year work permits and about 194,554 OPT participants in 2023.
- Grassley warns of national security risks, pointing to more than 33,000 Chinese students with STEM work authorizations and referencing FBI and USCIS ombudsman concerns about technology transfer.
- No policy change has been announced by DHS, and the demand arrives as separate H‑1B fee hikes under President Trump raise additional questions for international students, especially large cohorts from India.