A story from MA

As an Iranian-American and a proud US citizen, it's heartbreaking to watch my friends go through this. They are brilliant, hardworking people who came to the United States the right way, on student visas. They excelled in their studies at American universities, earning degrees in fields like engineering and science. They were supposed to be the next generation of innovators contributing to our economy. Now, everything is frozen. Because of a sudden policy change at USCIS, their applications for work authorization (OPT) are on an indefinite hold, simply because of their country of origin. I see their suffering up close. They have job offers from great companies, but they can't accept them. They are losing their legal status, running out of money, and losing hope. They are in a constant state of anxiety, their lives in limbo. We educated them, and now we are telling them they are not welcome to even begin their careers. It's a tragic waste of human potential and a deeply unfair situation for people who have done nothing wrong.