U.S. Rep. Paul Anthony Gosar called for eliminating the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program after ICE uncovered nearly 10,000 foreign students tied to suspicious or fake employers, saying the program has become a “magnet for fraud” and a “backdoor replacement for American workers.”
“ICE just uncovered nearly 10K foreign students tied to suspicious or fake employers through the OPT program. Further proof OPT has become a magnet for fraud and a backdoor replacement for American workers,” Gosar wrote in a May 12 post on X. “My legislation HR 2315 rescinds OPT entirely. America First means American jobs first.”
Rep. Gosar issued the statement shortly after ICE acting Director Todd Lyons held a press conference detailing findings from the investigation into the OPT program, such as cases where beneficiaries were being “managed” by employees based in India. The announcement focused on cases involving foreign students and questionable employer arrangements identified through targeted site visits and compliance reviews.
According to Open Doors data from the Institute of International Education, the OPT program authorized employment for more than 294,000 foreign students during the 2024-25 academic year.
ICE investigations into the top 25 OPT employers revealed patterns including shared addresses with no physical presence, residential homes listed as workplaces for hundreds of individuals, and overseas management of purported domestic operations, according to Politico.
Gosar is serving his seventh term representing Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District. He is a member of the House Oversight and Natural Resources committees, according to his website.
