Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal, who is running for California’s 17th Congress, challenging Ro Khanna in the Democratic primary, has urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his immigration ban on Iran because it would force thousands of Iranian students who are set to graduate this May to leave the United States. These students currently hold F-1 visas, but because the United States has suspended all immigration processing in Iran, these students will not be able to enroll in the OPT, STEM OPT, or H-1B visa programs unless the suspension is lifted. Agarwal wrote: “These young people want to contribute to the United States; they are attending places like Berkeley, Santa Clara and Stanford. If the suspension is not lifted, they will have to return to Iran within 60 days. We want these young, talented people to stay and work in the United States, pay taxes in the United States and create jobs here.”“While USCIS has identified the broader timing and impact of lifting the pause for affected immigrants, we ask that the pause be specifically lifted for students graduating in 2026,” he added. Agarwal also shared a letter from a group of Iranian students who said they had never had any contact with the Islamic Republic. They said they want to be fairly vetted under all U.S. security protocols and then allowed to stay in the United States. But the suspension means they will not be allowed to stay in the United States after college.“I have no idea who elected this idiot to represent the Iranians; many F-1 students at Stanford, Berkeley, and Silicon Valley CA-17 (Google, Apple, etc.) are agents or assets of the regime. Please continue to exercise extreme caution and scrutiny,” one critic of Agarwal wrote.Eason has stood his ground, saying he advocates screening all students and deporting those the State Department deems harmful to the United States. Another critic wrote: “We have yet another aspiring American politician advocating for non-American citizens. He could be fighting for American students and workers, but instead he is fighting against them.”
Who is Ethan Agarwal?
Ethan Agarwal, 40, is a technology entrepreneur best known for founding digital fitness company Aaptiv and co-founding financial technology company The Coterie. He was born in Montreal, Canada in 1985 and grew up in Los Gatos, California. His father, Vinod K Agarwal, was a computer engineering professor who later founded a semiconductor company, LogicVision.Agarwal began his career in finance, working at firms such as Lehman Brothers, LionEye Capital and McKinsey & Company before entering the entrepreneurial world. In 2015, he founded Aaptiv, an audio-based fitness app that grew rapidly, attracting investment from major companies such as Amazon and Disney, and reaching more than 1 million users worldwide. After the company was acquired, he stepped down as CEO and in 2021 co-founded The Coterie, a fintech company focused on investment access and wealth management.In 2025, Agarwal entered politics by announcing that he would run for California governor as a Democrat. He describes himself as a “pro-capitalist” or market-oriented Democrat who emphasizes business-driven solutions to economic, infrastructure and policy challenges. His campaign reflects a broader trend of tech entrepreneurs entering politics, aiming to apply private sector experience to governance.