Immigration Policy Writing
Initiative led by Shubham Tripathi & Kathryn Brink (Summer - Fall 2020)
The Houston Chronicle: Opinion
By Shubham Tripathi & Kathryn Brink | July 11, 2020
"As doctoral researchers in STEM, we work with international students and researchers every day. They are our valued colleagues, respected mentors and trusted friends. Recent immigration proposals aiming to restrict the entry of international STEM trainees threaten the ability of U.S. research institutions to recruit and retain this critical pool of STEM talent."
The Daily Californian: Opinion
By Christopher Jackson | July 11, 2020
"On June 22, President Donald Trump’s administration updated Proclamation 10014, extending a pause on the entry of H-1B, H-2B, J and L visa holders into the country through the end of the year. These actions hurt both the advancement of research and our nation’s scientific leadership. In response, Congress must pass legislation to restrict executive authority over the entry of immigrants into the United States and codify an extension of the Optional Practical Training, or OPT, program for STEM graduates."
The Colorado Sun: Opinion
By Ankita Arora | July 26, 2020
"As an international scholar from India with a Ph.D. from a prestigious institute in Germany, I came to the U.S. on a J-1 visa in 2016 to live my dream.
But my hope to learn from the experts, get exposed to state-of-the-art infrastructure and contribute to scientific research is being shattered little-by-little each day.
There are days and weeks where I spend more time worrying about what the Trump Administration will do next to prevent my stay here than doing my research. "
Union of Concerned Scientists: Blog
By Melody Tan & Christopher Jackson | Sept 30, 2020
"We are scientists and engineers from immigrant families. Over the past year, we have watched as these identities have increasingly intersected amid federal attempts to end the DACA program, restrictions on Chinese researchers, and attacks on international students. However, when we hear our scientific societies and academic institutions take a stand in support of immigrants, it is usually a tired mantra that praises the contributions of only a select few immigrants."
SciTech Forefront
By Kathryn Brink, Shubham Tripathi, Ankita Arora, Christopher Jackson, Adria Schwarber & Melody Tan | Aug 17, 2021
"Recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for necessary reforms to the US immigration system that can strengthen US resilience to future crises. In the context of growing anti-immigrant sentiments and economic uncertainties exacerbated by the pandemic, immigration policies that strengthen the recruitment and retention of immigrants working in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEM) are particularly important. Timely action on this issue is critical as healthcare workers, scientists, and entrepreneurs play key roles in pandemic response, workforce recovery, and preparedness for future crises.
One avenue towards improving foreign talent retention is to implement immigration policies that enable international graduate students educated in the US to remain in the American workforce post-graduation."