[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING WORK AUTHORIZATION FOR ELIGIBLE IRANIAN NATIONALS
(Ms. Ansari of Arizona was recognized to address the House for 5
minutes.)
Ms. ANSARI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Iranian
Temporary Immigration Relief Act, legislation I introduced alongside
Congressman Tom Suozzi to provide temporary protected status and work
authorization to eligible Iranian nationals already living in the
United States.
Our bill is about fairness. It is about keeping a promise to people
who followed the law, complied with every immigration requirement, and
came to this country to study, research, innovate, and contribute.
It is also personal to me. My father came to the United States as a
student. Like so many others I have met in Arizona, he came here
legally, pursued his education, and built a life grounded in
opportunity and hard work.
These stories are not unique. They are shared by thousands of Iranian
students and researchers who now find themselves caught in uncertainty
through no fault of their own.
Just in Arizona, I have heard from dozens of students, scientists,
engineers, and researchers whose lives have been thrown into limbo by
the chaos unleashed by the Trump administration. These are real people
contributing to America's future.
One Arizona State University graduate earned a Ph.D. in materials
science and engineering, researching biomedical technologies for
neurological diseases through NIH-funded projects. He secured a very
competitive position at the Mayo Clinic to continue federally funded
medical research, but because his employment authorization remains
frozen, he has spent months unable to work, without income, and without
health insurance.
Another researcher at ASU completed her Ph.D. studying how lighting
and design affect migraine patients, older adults, and individuals with
Alzheimer's disease. She had a job offer waiting for her at a major
architecture and design firm in Arizona. She did everything right. She
filed every document on time, yet she still cannot begin her work
because her case remains stuck in administrative limbo created by the
Trump administration.
I heard from a Ph.D. researcher working on artificial intelligence
for power grid reliability, crucial in my State. His research was
recognized in the Department of Energy's competition, and yet despite
receiving job opportunities from American employers, he cannot legally
begin contributing those skills.
I heard from a biomedical researcher working on brain cancer drug
development at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Her work has
already contributed to projects that advanced into human clinical
trials in Arizona. She came to the United States to help sick people
and advance science. Instead, she now faces the possibility of being
forced to leave this country just as she nears completion of her
doctorate.
I also heard from an Iranian Ph.D. student in public health whose
husband waited nearly 2 years in administrative processing for a
dependent visa, only to be ultimately denied after chaotic Trump
policies prevented him from getting the visa he was promised. After 10
years of marriage, they are now separated indefinitely.
These individuals are not asking for special treatment. They are
asking for their lawful applications to be processed fairly, and they
are asking not to be punished because of where they were born.
These students and researchers are conducting NIH-funded cancer
research, developing biomedical technologies, strengthening artificial
intelligence systems, improving public health, advancing clean energy
reliability, and helping American universities and employers remain
globally competitive.
The United States spent taxpayer dollars on training many of these
individuals. American universities recruited them. Federal grants
supported their research, and American hospitals and companies have
offered them jobs. Now, after years of education and contribution, we
are telling them they may not be allowed to continue their work and
could be forced to return to Iran amid a dire human rights crisis
worsened by ongoing hostilities and increased repression by the Islamic
Republic.
Many Iranians residing in the United States have participated in
anti-Islamic Republic regime and prodemocracy demonstrations in recent
years, putting them at greater risk of persecution in Iran.
My bill grants temporary protected status and work authorization to
eligible Iranian nationals legally present in the United States while
their immigration matters remain pending. Importantly, this legislation
includes safeguards to ensure that individuals connected to the Islamic
Republic are not eligible for relief. It is targeted relief for
ordinary civilians, students, researchers, scientists, families, and
professionals who have complied with the law and built lives in our
communities.
As the first Iranian-American Democrat elected to Congress, I know
personally how deeply these stories resonate across our communities,
but this issue is larger than any one community. It is about whether
America remains a country that rewards talent, values fairness,
supports scientific innovation, and honors due process.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the
Iranian Temporary Immigration Relief Act.
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