Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman is joining a bloc of House Republicans urging the White House to immediately end the federal Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, a post-graduation work authorization that allows foreign students on F-1 visas to remain in the United States for up to three years while working in their field of study.
In a letter dated December 4 and addressed to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Hageman and 11 colleagues argue that OPT has grown into an “unauthorized guest worker pipeline” that bypasses traditional visa limits while undercutting American students and workers, including those pursuing STEM careers.
Concerns Highlighted in the Letter
The lawmakers frame OPT as a program that benefits large tech firms and multinational employers at the expense of U.S. graduates. According to data cited in their letter, more than 194,000 foreign students received OPT authorization in 2024, with STEM extensions climbing to over 95,000, a significant year-over-year increase.
They argue this rapid expansion harms early-career American workers, particularly in competitive fields like engineering, cybersecurity, and agriculture technology. The group also notes that OPT participants are exempt from paying Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, a detail they say creates an uneven playing field for employers and contributes to an estimated $4 billion annual shortfall in employer-side trust fund contributions.
National Security Angle
Hageman and her co-signers also emphasize national security risks. With OPT participants working across sectors like semiconductors, livestock management, defense-adjacent research, and space systems, they warn that the program creates unmonitored pathways for technology transfer and potential espionage, especially from adversarial nations.
What They Want the Administration to Do
The group is calling on the administration to immediately terminate OPT via executive and regulatory action, while also supporting legislative efforts such as H.R. 2315, a bill aimed at formally ending the program. They compare the current situation to earlier immigration programs that expanded beyond their intent, cautioning against what they describe as an “unrestrained” system operating without congressional approval.
Hageman’s announcement sparked modest discussion on X, with some users pointing out that OPT has existed since the early 1990s under the George H.W. Bush administration. Still, the letter represents one of the most coordinated pushes yet by House Republicans to end the program outright.
We’ll continue tracking how this conversation develops in Washington and what it could mean for Wyoming employers, students, and industries connected to STEM and research.
