America has long prided itself on being the land of opportunity — a place where any individual, no matter their background, can roll up their sleeves and build a life of prosperity. Yet, as our nation grapples with maintaining its economic edge and preparing our workforce for the challenges of tomorrow, the discussion around H-1B visas has once again taken center stage.

However, this time the mask is coming off and the monster that is the current, broken H-1B system is finally being exposed for what it is: cheap labor that exploits foreign workers and discrimination against U.S. citizens.

To be clear, skilled immigration has long played a vital role in propelling the country forward in areas like technology, medicine and engineering. H-1B visas in particular have allowed businesses to recruit specialized talent from around the globe, giving an immediate boost to innovation in Silicon Valley and beyond.

The problem is that the current H-1B system has been manipulated and transformed into a way to replace American workers who have standard employee rights with cheaper foreign labor that can be exploited and leveraged to work tirelessly with little recourse. H-1B mills spin out international labor at scale for large corporations, especially in the technology sector, and it has nothing to do with hiring the best and the brightest.

Earlier this year Cognizant, a professional services company that places workers at technology companies

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