Washington business lobbies are alarmed as the Trump administration moves to tighten the flow of migrant workers entering the U.S. workforce through college programs — a pipeline that has funneled hundreds of thousands of foreign graduates into American jobs over the past two decades.
The administration’s deputies are drafting regulatory changes to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) programs, which allow foreign graduates of U.S. colleges and universities to work in the country for up to five years after graduation. The moves have drawn sharp criticism from pro-immigration advocates who say the changes would undermine American competitiveness for global talent.
Advocates Warn of ‘Devastating’ Impact on STEM Talent
“This is going to be devastating for retaining top STEM talent in critical fields,” Sam Peak, an advocate for the programs, said on August 21. Peak defended the OPT program, originally created under President George W. Bush, as “a critical bridge that helps the U.S. retain top global talent.”
Jeremy Neufeld, director of Immigration Policy at the Institute for Progress, claimed the administration is considering a $100,000 fee for OPT participation — a cost that “would essentially end the program.”
The Controversial Legacy of OPT and CPT
The OPT program has operated largely without congressional oversight since its creation under Bush. Over the years, it has allowed millions of foreign graduates — primarily from India — to start U.S. careers, often in fields where American graduates also compete for jobs. Critics argue the influx has undercut wages, damaged professionalism in tech sectors, and enabled ethnic hiring networks that exclude American workers.
Data from the source material highlight the scale of the programs: In 2024, nearly 500,000 Americans earned bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields, yet 640,000 foreign graduates held work permits through OPT and CPT. The result, according to reporting, is that roughly 20 percent of U.S. STEM jobs are now held by migrants, while two-thirds of U.S. STEM graduates work in non-STEM jobs.
Growing Recognition of Problems Inside the Administration
Trump administration officials have signaled a hard line against the programs. In a Senate hearing in May 2025, Joe Edlow, Trump’s nominee to lead U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), criticized how OPT has been administered in recent years.
“I think the way in which OPT has been handled over the past four years … have been a real problem in terms of misapplication of the law,” Edlow testified. He said he wants “a regulatory and sub-regulatory program that would allow us to remove the ability for employment authorizations for F-1 [foreign] students beyond the time that they are in school.”
On July 30, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s deputies were considering charging a $100,000 fee for foreign graduates seeking to use OPT as a pathway to citizenship.
New Guidance Tightens CPT Rules
On August 24, the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance from Edlow directing university officials to deny CPT work permits to foreign graduates seeking jobs outside their field of study — specifically excluding roles such as retail, hotel cleaning, or food delivery.
“CPT students should have access to practical training managed by an employer who has entered into a cooperative agreement with a school where it is agreed the employer will sponsor the school’s students for specific training,” the guidance states. It warns that institutions failing to comply with DHS regulations could lose their certification to enroll foreign students.
Some U.S. colleges are already pulling back from CPT programs, according to the source material.
Enforcement and Civil Rights Investigations
Federal enforcement appears to be ramping up. Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said on September 2 that she is investigating discrimination against American workers in the tech sector.
“We’re working together with EEOC and the Department of Labor to put a stop to this discrimination and make sure there’s a level playing field for the American worker,” Dhillon said, adding that the efforts are “our main focus” and have been “ramped up big time.”
Reports of Exploitation and Debt Bondage
The crackdown on CPT comes amid widespread reports that Indian employers have used the programs to fill lower-tier jobs — retail clerks, delivery drivers, hotel staff — often exploiting foreign workers and undercutting local labor markets.
One example highlighted in the source is Guru Education, an Indian-run company allegedly recruiting Indian migrants for hotel jobs using CPT and OPT permits. The company’s website claims “paid internships,” free accommodation, and ties with universities offering first-day CPT work permits. It lists partnerships with major hotel brands including Marriott, Hilton, and Choice Hotels.
Guru’s founder, Dev Karlekar, is also chairman of the hospitality education committee at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which counts its members as owning 60 percent of U.S. hotels. Karlekar did not respond to requests for comment, and the association declined to comment, stating it “advocates for legal workforce solutions” and does not “comment on speculation or narratives designed to target business owners based on ethnicity.”
The source material also includes allegations from trafficking expert Jay Palmer, who detailed a draft legal complaint involving Indian migrants entering the U.S. on B1/B2 visitor visas — which do not authorize employment — only to be forced to work under threat and debt bondage. The complaint alleges plaintiffs were charged fees of about $10,000 in India, were required to work off the debt, had passports confiscated, and faced threats of deportation and harm to their families.
“A debt in India became forced labor in America,” Palmer said.
What’s Next for the Pipeline
Administration officials appear to be moving forward with regulatory changes despite lobbying opposition. While no final rule has been announced, the signals from Edlow and the guidance suggests a significant tightening of a program that has operated for decades with little public scrutiny.
The outcome will have major implications for U.S. colleges that have relied on foreign tuition revenue, for employers that lean on migrant labor, and for American workers who have watched wages and opportunities shift in an increasingly competitive job market.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/09/03/pro-migration-lobbies-defend-college-pipeline-of-migrant-workers/