USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 1 of 47
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`
`ORAL ARGUMENT NOT YET SCHEDULED
`
`No. 21-5028
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
`
`WASHINGTON ALLIANCE OF TECHNOLOGY WORKERS,
`Appellant,
`v .
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
`HOMELAND SECURITY, et al.,
`Appellees.
`
`On Appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
`(No. 1:16-cv-1170) (Hon. Reggie B. Walton, District Judge)
`
`Brief Amicus Curiae of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and
`Immigration In Support of Appellees and Intervenors
`
`
`
`Ishan K. Bhabha
`Jenner & Block LLP
`1099 New York Avenue, N.W.
`Suite 900
`Washington, DC 20001
`(202) 637-6327
`IBhabha@jenner.com
`Counsel for Amicus
`
`
`
`
`
`
`June 21, 2021
`
`
`
`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 2 of 47
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`
`CERTIFICATE AS TO PARTIES, RULINGS,
`AND RELATED CASES
`Pursuant to Circuit Rule 28(a)(1), undersigned counsel for amicus curiae
`
`
`
`certifies as follows:
`
`A. Parties and Amici. The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and
`
`Immigration (“Presidents’ Alliance” or “Alliance”) files this brief on its own behalf
`
`and with the support of the following member-institutions1 of higher education:
`
`Agnes Scott College
`American University
`Amherst College
`Arizona State University
`Augustana College
`Avila University
`Babson College
`Bard College
`Bates College
`Beloit College
`Bentley University
`Boston Architectural College
`Boston Graduate School of
`Psychoanalysis
`
`Boston University
`Bowdoin College
`Brandeis University
`Brooklyn Law School
`Brown University
`Bryn Mawr College
`Bucknell University
`Butler University
`California Institute of Technology
`California Institute of the Arts
`California State University
`Carnegie Mellon University
`Case Western Reserve University
`Christian Brothers University
`
`
`1 The 151 nonprofit colleges and universities listed include large and small, public
`and private, research and teaching universities, liberal arts colleges, community
`colleges, faith-based institutions and special focus institutions. These institutions of
`higher education are located across 32 states and the District of Columbia, and they
`serve urban and rural populations that span the political spectrum.
`
`i
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`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 3 of 47
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`
`Claremont Graduate University
`Clark University
`Colby College
`Colorado State University System
`Colorado State University
`Colorado State University Pueblo
`Colorado State University Global
`Columbia College
`Converse College
`Cornell University
`Dartmouth College
`DePaul University
`DePauw University
`Dominican University
`Duke University
`Eastern Connecticut State University
`Eastern Michigan University
`Elon University
`Emory University
`Fairleigh Dickinson University
`Franklin & Marshall College
`Georgetown University
`Goucher College
`Greenfield Community College
`Grinnell College
`Hamilton College
`Harvard University
`Haverford College
`
`Hofstra University
`Hollins University
`Illinois Institute of Technology
`Ithaca College
`Knox College
`Lafayette College
`Loyola University Chicago
`Manhattanville College
`Massachusetts Institute of Technology
`Metropolitan State University of
`Denver
`Mount Holyoke College
`New Jersey City University
`New Jersey Institute of Technology
`New York University
`Northampton Community College
`Northeastern University
`Northern Illinois University
`Oakland University
`Oberlin College
`Oregon State University
`Pace University
`Palo Alto University
`Pomona College
`Portland State University
`Princeton University
`Queens University of Charlotte
`Reed College
`
`ii
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`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 4 of 47
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`
`Relay GSE
`Rhode Island School of Design
`Rhodes College
`Rice University
`Ringling College of Art and Design
`Rochester Institute of Technology
`Roosevelt University
`Rutgers University-Newark
`Salt Lake Community College
`Salve Regina University
`Santa Clara University
`Sarah Lawrence College
`Saybrook University
`Scripps College
`Smith College
`Soka University of America
`Southern New Hampshire University
`St. John's University
`St. Olaf College
`Stanford University
`Stevens Institute of Technology
`Stony Brook University
`Suffolk University
`Swarthmore College
`Texas State University System
`Texas Tech University System
`The New School
`
`The President & Fellows of
`Middlebury College
`The Trustees of Columbia University
`in the City of New York
`The University of Houston System
`The University of Texas System
`Toyota Technological Institute at
`Chicago
`Trinity University
`Trinity Washington University
`UCLA
`University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
`University of California, Berkeley
`University of California, Davis
`University of California, Irvine (UCI)
`University of California, San Diego
`University of California, San
`Francisco (UCSF)
`University of California, Santa
`Barbara
`University of California, Santa Cruz
`University of California System
`University of California, Riverside
`University of Colorado System
`University of Dayton
`University of Denver
`University of Illinois
`University of Miami
`University of Michigan
`
`iii
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`

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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 5 of 47
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`
`University of New Hampshire
`University of North Texas
`University of Pennsylvania
`University of Rochester
`University of San Francisco
`University of the People
`University of Utah
`University of Washington
`Utah State University
`
`
`Virginia Wesleyan University
`Wake Forest University
`Washington and Lee University
`Washington University in St. Louis
`Wellesley College
`Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
`Whitman College
`Williams College
`Yale University
`
`To counsel’s knowledge, all other parties, intervenors and amici appearing before
`
`this Court and the district court are listed in the Brief for the Appellees.
`
`B. Rulings Under Review. An accurate reference to the order at issue in this appeal
`
`appears in the Brief for the Appellees.
`
`C. Related Cases. An accurate statement about related cases appears in the Brief
`
`for the Appellees.
`
`
`
`June 21, 2021
`
`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ Ishan K. Bhabha
` Ishan K. Bhabha
`
`
`
`
`
`iv
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 6 of 47
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`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`CERTIFICATE AS TO PARTIES, RULINGS, AND RELATED CASES .............. i
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES .................................................................................. vii
`STATEMENT REGARDING CONSENT TO FILE AND SEPARATE
`BRIEFING ................................................................................................... xiii
`COPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ........................................................ xiii
`GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................ xiv
`STATUTES AND REGULATIONS ......................................................................... 1
`INTEREST OF AMICUS .......................................................................................... 1
`SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ................................................................................. 1
`ARGUMENT ............................................................................................................. 2
`I.
`The Reach And Scope Of OPT Is Vast. .......................................................... 2
`II. OPT Provides Experiential Learning That Is Now, And Has Long Been,
`A Crucial Component Of Education In This Country ..................................... 6
`III. OPT Benefits Higher Education And The U.S. Economy. ........................... 11
`A.
`International Students Contribute To Campus Diversity, A Key
`Component Of The Educational Experience....................................... 12
`International Students And Scholars Are Critical To America’s
`Research Excellence And Undergraduate Instruction, Especially
`In STEM Fields ................................................................................... 15
`C. OPT Participants Give Back To Their Campuses And
`Communities ....................................................................................... 18
`International Students Add Tremendous Value To The U.S.
`Economy .............................................................................................. 19
`IV. Any Reduction Of OPT Would Harm Higher Education And The
`Economy ........................................................................................................ 22
`
`D.
`
`B.
`
`v
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`

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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 7 of 47
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`
`B.
`
`A. Any Reduction Of OPT Would Compromise American Higher
`Education Institutions’ Ability To Compete For International
`Students ............................................................................................... 22
`Lost Talent From Any OPT Reduction Would Also Harm The
`U.S. Economy ...................................................................................... 27
`CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 30
`CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`
`
`vi
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`

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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 8 of 47
`
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`CASES
`Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (Fisher I), 570 U.S. 297 (2013) ................ 12
`Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (Fisher II), 136 S. Ct. 2198 (2016) ........... 12
`
`Washington Alliance of Technology Workers v. United States Department
`of Homeland Security, No. 16-cv-1170, 2021 WL 329847 (D.D.C. Jan.
`28, 2021) ............................................................................................................... 9
`OTHER AUTHORITIES
`40 Under 40: Ashifi Gogo, Fortune (Sept. 24, 2015), https://engineering.
`dartmouth.edu/news/40-under-40-ashifi-gogo ................................................... 22
`Susan Adams, An Expert List of the World’s Best Universities, Forbes
`(Sept. 26, 2018), https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2018/09/
`26/an-expert-list-of-the-worlds-best-universities/ .............................................. 23
`Nick Anderson & Susan Svrluga, What’s the Trump Effect on International
`Enrollment? Report Finds New Foreign Students Are Dwindling,
`Washington Post (Nov. 13, 2018), https://wapo.st/2FlU2Yd?/ .......................... 24
`Stuart Anderson, Immigrants and Billion-Dollar Companies, National
`Foundation for American Policy (2018), https://nfap.com/wp-content/
`uploads/2018/10/2018-BILLION-DOLLAR-STARTUPS.NFAP-Polic
`y-Brief.2018.pdf ............................................................................................ 20, 21
`Stuart Anderson, Immigrant Nobel Prize Winners Keep Leading the Way
`for America, Forbes (Oct. 14, 2019), https://www.forbes.com/sites/
`stuartanderson/2019/10/14/immigrant-nobel-prize-winners-keep-
`leading-the-way-for-america/?sh=3c69635d4d4b .............................................. 16
`Brief of Immigrant Rights Advocates as Amici Curiae Supporting
`Plaintiffs-Appellees, Jane Doe v. Azar, 925 F.3d 1291 (D.C. Cir. 2019)
`(No. 18-5093), 2018 WL 3740599 ..................................................................... 10
`Brief of American Veterans Alliance, et al. as Amici Curiae in Support of
`Plaintiffs-Appellees, Doe 2 v. Shanahan, 755 F. App’x 19 (D.C. Cir.
`2019) (No. 1:17-cv-01597), 2018 WL 5619818 ................................................. 10
`
`vii
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`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 9 of 47
`
`
`British Council, The Shape of Global Higher Education: International
`Comparisons with Europe (2019), https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/
`default/files/k006_02_the_shape_of_global_higher_education_in_eur
`ope_final_v5_web.pdf ........................................................................................ 24
`Business Roundtable, The Economic Impact of Curbing the Optional
`Practical Training Program (Dec. 2018), https://s3.amazonaws.com/
`brt.org/BRT-OPTProgramReport_1.pdf ................................................. 20, 28, 29
`Gnanaraj Chellaraj et al., The Contributions of International Graduate
`Students to US Innovation, 16 Rev. Int’l Econ. 444 (2008) ............................... 20
`James Bryan Conant, General Education in a Free Society: Report of the
`(1955),
`https://archive.org/details/general
`Harvard Committee
`education013127mbp/page/n77 ............................................................................ 7
`Digest of Education Statistics, National Central Education Statistics, table
`317.20,
`https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_317.
`20.asp (last visited June 15, 2021) ...................................................................... 23
`Diversity and Inclusion, Duke University, https://inclusive.duke.edu/ (last
`visited June 15, 2021) ......................................................................................... 13
`Drew Gilpin Faust, We Are All Harvard, Harvard University (Jan. 29,
`2017),
`https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2017/we-are-all-
`harvard/ ............................................................................................................... 13
`Claudia Goldin & Lawrence F. Katz, The Shaping of Higher Education:
`The Formative Years in the United States, 1890 to 1940, 13 J. Econ.
`Persps. 37 (1999) .................................................................................................. 7
`Polly Hutcheson, Educating a Globally Productive Citizenry: The Role of
`Higher Education in the Integration of Learning and Work. A
`for College Leaders, National Commission
`for
`Monograph
`Cooperative Education (1999), https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED428
`609.pdf .................................................................................................................. 8
`Jason E. Lane, US Losing Its Dominance in Global Higher Education
`Market, Conversation (Oct. 14, 2015), http://theconversation.com/us-
`losing-its-dominance-in-global-higher-education-market-46721/ ..................... 24
`
`viii
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`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 10 of 47
`
`
`Letter from President Eisgruber and Other Leaders of New Jersey
`Colleges and Universities to New Jersey Congressional Delegation
`Regarding Immigration, Princeton University (May 2, 2019), https://
`president.princeton.edu/blogs/letter-president-eisgruber-and-other-lea
`ders-new-jersey-colleges-and-universities-new-jersey ........................................ 9
`Connie Loizos, Cloudflare Co-founder Michelle Zatlyn on the Company’s
`IPO Today, Its Unique Dual Class Structure, and What’s Next, Tech
`Crunch (Sept. 13, 2019), https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/13/cloud
`flare-cofounder-michelle-zatlyn-on-the-companys-successful-ipo-and-
`whats-next/ .......................................................................................................... 21
`Zhengrong Lu & Paul Schulmann, How Master’s Students Choose
`Institutions: Research on International Student Segmentation (World
`Res. Servs.
`2015),
`https://wenr.wes.org/2015/10/how-masters-
`students-choose-institutions-research-on-international-student-
`segmentation ....................................................................................................... 25
`Jiali Luo & David Jamieson-Drake, Examining the Educational Benefits of
`Interacting with International Students, 3 J. Int’l Students 85 (2013),
`https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1056457.pdf ................................................. 14
`NAFSA, An International Education Policy for U.S. Leadership,
`Competitiveness, and Security (2006), https://www.nafsa.org/uploaded
`Files/toward_an_international_1.pdf ............................................................ 17, 18
`NAFSA, In America’s Interest: Welcoming International Students: Report
`of the Strategic Task Force on International Student Access (2003),
`https://www.nafsa.org/uploadedFiles/NAFSA_Home/Resource_Librar
`y_Assets/Public_Policy/in_america_s_interest.pdf ............................................ 17
`NAFSA, NAFSA
`International Student Economic Value Tool,
`http://www.nafsa.org/Policy_and_Advocacy/Policy_Resources/Policy
`_Trends_and_Data/NAFSA_International_Student_Economic_Value_
`Tool/ (last visited June 15, 2021) ....................................................................... 19
`NAFSA, Restoring U.S. Competitiveness for International Students and
`Scholars
`(2006),
`https://www.nafsa.org/sites/default/files/ektron/
`uploadedFiles/NAFSA_Home/Resource_Library_Assets/Public_Polic
`y/restoring_u.s.pdf .............................................................................................. 14
`
`ix
`
`

`

`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 11 of 47
`
`
`National Academy of Sciences et al., Rising Above the Gathering Storm:
`Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future
`(2007) .................................................................................................................. 23
`National Foundation
`for American Policy, The
`Importance of
`International Students to American Science and Engineering (2017),
`https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Importance-of-Inte
`rnational-Students.NFAP-Policy-Brief.October-20171.pdf ............................... 16
`Carmen Neghina, International Students’ Changing Perceptions of the
`U.S., Study Portals, https://www.studyportals.com/blog/one-year-later-
`international-students-changing-perceptions-of-the-u-s/ (last visited
`June 15, 2021) ..................................................................................................... 25
`Office of Press Secretary, President Barack Obama, Remarks by the
`President on the 150th Anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences
`(Apr. 29, 2013), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-
`office/2013/04/29/remarks-president-150th-anniversary-national-acad
`emy-sciences ......................................................................................................... 2
`Optional Practical Training (OPT): A Key Driver to Study in the U.S.,
`Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration (Mar. 3,
`2020), https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/wp-content/upload
`s/2021/02/OPT-A-Key-Driver-to-Study-in-the-U.S..pdf ..................................... 5
`Kavita Pandit, International Students and Diversity: Challenges and
`Opportunities for Campus Internationalization, in International
`Students and Scholars in the United States (Heike C. Alberts et al. eds.,
`2013) ................................................................................................................... 14
`Press Release, Institution for International Education, Number of
`International Students in the United States Reaches New High of 1.09
`Million (Nov. 13, 2018), https://www.iie.org/Why-IIE/Announce
`ments/2018/11/2018-11-13-Number-of-International-Students-Reach
`es-New-High/ ........................................................................................................ 2
`Rebecca Prinster, International Students Provide Colleges a Mutually
`Beneficial Relationship, Insight Into Diversity (June 28, 2016), http://
`www.insightintodiversity.com/international-students-provide-colleges
`-a-mutually-beneficial-relationship/ ................................................................... 15
`
`x
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 12 of 47
`
`
`Elizabeth Redden, For International Students, Shifting Choices of Where
`to Study, Inside Higher Ed (Aug. 24, 2018), https://www.inside
`highered.com/news/2018/08/24/international-enrollments-slowing-or-
`declining-some-top-destination-countries-look .................................................. 25
`Neil G. Ruiz & Abby Budiman, Number of Foreign College Students
`Staying and Working in U.S. After Graduation Surges, Pew Research
`Center
`(May 10, 2018), https://www.pewresearch.org/global/
`2018/05/10/number-of-foreign-college-students-staying-and-working-
`in-u-s-after-graduation-surges/#fn-40543-1 ..................................................... 3, 4
`Rutgers University, Rutgers University-Newark: Where Opportunity
`Meets Excellence (2014), http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/sites/default/
`files/run_strategic_plan_-final.pdf ...................................................................... 13
`Student and Exchange Visitor Program, United States Immigration and
`Customs Enforcement, SEVIS by the Numbers: Annual Report on
`International Student Trends, https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/
`sevisBTN2020.pdf (last visited June 15, 2021) ................................................ 3, 5
`Sophia Tareen, Foreign Students Show Less Zeal for US Since Trump Took
`Over, Associated Press (Oct. 25, 2020), https://apnews.com/article
`/race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-technology-travel-virus-outbreak-d7
`8eb3f2fc961a848fcbba0ae01218fa ....................................................................... 4
`Eleanor Townsley et al., The Impact of Undergraduate Internships on
`Post-Graduate Outcomes for the Liberal Arts, NACE Center (2017),
`https://www.naceweb.org/job-market/internships/the-impact-of-under
`graduate-internships-on-post-graduate-outcomes-for-the-liberal-arts/ ................ 8
`Paulina Trevena, Post Study Work Visa Options: An International
`Comparative Review (Aug. 2019), https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/33953/1/post-
`study-work-visa-options-international-comparative-review.pdf ........................ 27
`United States Citizenship & Immigration Services, Students and
`Employment, https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/students-
`and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employment/ (last updated Apr.
`13, 2020) ............................................................................................................... 3
`
`xi
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 13 of 47
`
`
`United States Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States: F-1
`Optional Practical Training, https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-
`help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/f-1-optional-pract
`ical-training-opt (last updated Sept. 29, 2020) ..................................................... 4
`United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2003 – 2019 Top 200
`Employers for Pre‐ and Post‐Completion OPT Students, https://www.
`ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/data_Top200_EmployersPrePostCompletion_
`OPT_Students2003_2019.pdf ............................................................................... 6
`United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2019 Top 200
`Employers for OPT and STEM OPT Students, https://www.ice.gov/doc
`lib/sevis/pdf/data_Top200_EmployersSTEM_OPT_Students2019.pdf .............. 6
`United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement, 2020 Total Number
`of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in CPT, OPT or
`STEM OPT, https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/data-OPT-STEM-
`OPT-CPT_2020.pdf .............................................................................................. 5
`United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Top 100 School
`Campuses with OPT (Pre- + Post-) Authorizations by Active SEVIS
`Records Calendar Year 2020, https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/
`data_Top100_PrePostCompletion_OPT_20.pdf .................................................. 5
`United States State Department, Table XV(B): Nonimmigrant Visas Issued
`by Classification (Including Border Crossing Cards), Fiscal Years
`2016-2020, https://bit.ly/2Ugn8QR ...................................................................... 3
`US Student Visa Data the Latest Indicator of International Enrolment
`Trends, ICEF Monitor (May 23, 2018), http://monitor.icef.com/
`2018/05/us-student-visa-data-the-latest-indicator-of-international-en
`rolment-trends/ .................................................................................................... 24
`Nick Wingfield, The Disappearing American Grad Student, N.Y. Times
`(Nov. 3, 2017), https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/education/
`edlife/american-graduate-student-stem.html ................................................ 16, 17
`World University Rankings 2021, Times Higher Education,
`https://bit.ly/3cLvwy1 (last visited June 15, 2021) ............................................ 23
`Marjorie Zatz, International Students Creating an American Legacy,
`Diverse (Oct. 23, 2018), https://diverseeducation.com/article/130127/ ............. 14
`
`xii
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 14 of 47
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`
`STATEMENT REGARDING CONSENT TO FILE AND SEPARATE
`BRIEFING
`Appellees and Intervenors have consented to the filing of this brief. Appellant
`consented only to the filing of a single amicus brief by all prospective amici. In light
`of the other amicus briefs being filed in support of Appellees and Intervenors,
`Appellant did not consent to the filing of this brief.
`
`Counsel for Presidents’ Alliance has conferred with counsel for American
`Immigration Council regarding the scope of the amicus brief noticed on June 4,
`2021. Counsel have confirmed that the proposed briefs are not duplicative.
`
`Pursuant to Circuit Rule 29(d), Presidents’ Alliance certifies that a separate brief is
`necessary to provide the perspective of the institutions of higher education that
`comprise its membership. These member-institutions are directly impacted by the
`availability of the regulatory program at issue in this appeal.
`
`
`
`COPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
`
`Pursuant to Fed. R. App. P. 26.1 and D.C. Cir. Rules 27(a)(4) and 28(a)(1)(A),
`Presidents’ Alliance submits the following corporate disclosure statement:
`
`Presidents’ Alliance is a non-profit organization. It has no parent corporation and
`does not issue stock.
`
`
`Dated: June 21, 2021
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ Ishan K. Bhabha
`Ishan K. Bhabha
`
`
`
`xiii
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 15 of 47
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`
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`GDP
`
`MBA
`
`MIT
`
`OPT
`
`STEM
`
`WashTech
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`GLOSSARY
`
`Gross Domestic Product
`
`Master of Business Administration
`
`Massachusetts Institute of Technology
`
`Optional Practical Training
`
`Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics
`
`Washington Alliance of Technology Workers
`
`
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`xiv
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 16 of 47
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`
`
`
`STATUTES AND REGULATIONS
`Applicable materials are contained in the Brief for Appellant.
`INTEREST OF AMICUS2
`Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a longstanding government program that
`
`permits international students to continue, and deepen, their education by applying
`
`the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom to a professional setting. OPT
`
`provides untold benefits for these international students. At the same time, and just
`
`as critical, the opportunities OPT facilitates for international students provide
`
`American institutions of higher education an edge in an increasingly competitive
`
`global education marketplace. Without OPT, the education that international
`
`students will receive in the United States will be less robust, and the ability of
`
`American colleges and universities to attract and educate the best and brightest from
`
`around the world will diminish. The consequences of ending OPT for students,
`
`schools, and the economy at large will be severe. For these reasons, amicus
`
`Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration submits this brief on
`
`behalf of its more than 500 members in strong support of Appellees and Intervenors.
`
`SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT
`American institutions of higher education offer educational and research
`
`
`2 No counsel for a party authored this brief in whole or in part, and no counsel or
`party made a monetary contribution intended to fund the preparation or submission
`of this brief. No person other than the amicus curiae made a monetary contribution
`to the preparation or submission of this brief.
`
`1
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`

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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 17 of 47
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`opportunities that attract the very best students, researchers, and professors from
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`around the world. These individuals make valuable contributions to our classrooms,
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`campuses, and communities. And these contributions play a critical role in making
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`American higher education—in the words of former President Barack Obama—“the
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`crown jewel of our economy as well as our civilization.”3
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`American colleges and universities occupy this exalted position in part
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`because of the OPT program. This brief describes the scope and importance of OPT
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`to American colleges and universities. It places OPT within its proper historical
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`context as but one example of experiential learning that has always been understood
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`as integral to academic study in the United States. It details the benefits OPT brings
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`to its participants, their host institutions, and the economy at large. And, finally, it
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`describes the substantial costs these stakeholders will bear if WashTech prevails in
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`this appeal.
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`I.
`
`ARGUMENT
`The Reach And Scope Of OPT Is Vast.
`Higher education is widely recognized as one of the United States’ most
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`crucial exports. For the past several decades, the United States has been the leading
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`
`3 Office of Press Sec’y, President Barack Obama, Remarks by the President on the
`150th Anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences (Apr. 29, 2013),
`https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/29/remarks-
`president-150th-anniversary-national-academy-sciences.
`
`2
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 18 of 47
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`destination for international students.4 As reported by Immigration and Customs
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`Enforcement, international students—hailing from 226 countries and every
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`inhabited continent—pursued 1,121,981 degrees at U.S. institutions of higher
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`education in the 2020 calendar year.5 Many of these international students came to
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`the United States through F-1 visas6 that allow international students to enter the
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`United States as full-time students at an accredited college, university, or other
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`academic institution.7 The F-1 student population increased by 104% between 2008
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`and 2016.8
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`After having studied for at least one academic year, F-1 students are eligible
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`4 See, e.g., Press Release, Inst. of Int’l Educ., Number of International Students in
`the United States Reaches New High of 1.09 Million (Nov. 13, 2018), https://www.
`iie.org/Why-IIE/Announcements/2018/11/2018-11-13-Number-of-International-
`Students-Reaches-New-High/.
`5 Student and Exchange Visitor Program, U.S. Immigr. & Customs Enforcement,
`SEVIS by the Numbers: Annual Report on International Student Trends 4,
`https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/sevisBTN2020.pdf.
`6 U.S. State Dep’t, Table XV(B): Nonimmigrant Visas Issued by Classification
`Cards),
`2016-2020,
`(Including
`Border
`Crossing
`Fiscal
`Years
`https://bit.ly/2Ugn8QR.
`7 U.S. Citizenship & Immigr. Servs., Students and Employment, https://www.uscis.
`gov/working-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employ
`ment/ (last updated Apr. 13, 2020).
`8 Neil G. Ruiz & Abby Budiman, Number of Foreign College Students Staying and
`Working in U.S. After Graduation Surges, Pew Research Center (May 10, 2018),
`https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/05/10/number-of-foreign-college-
`students-staying-and-working-in-u-s-after-graduation-surges/#fn-40543-1.
`
`3
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`USCA Case #21-5028 Document #1902967 Filed: 06/21/2021 Page 19 of 47
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`to seek employment opportunities through OPT.9 OPT allows students to gain up to
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`12 months of real-world work experience in their field of study, either during their
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`academic coursework (pre-completion OPT) or after receiving their degrees (post-
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`completion OPT).10 Between 2004 and 2016, nearly 1.5 million international
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`students and graduates participated in OPT.11 Over half of them pursued
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`employment related to STEM fields.12 Those individuals were thus el