Latest news with #SB846
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida targeting 2023 Chinese student ruling
Saying Florida is trying to protect against 'nefarious foreign-government influence,' higher-education leaders this week asked a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that blocked part of a 2023 law restricting ties between state universities and colleges and China. Attorney General James Uthmeier's office filed a 60-page brief at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals arguing that a federal district judge improperly issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by two Florida International University doctoral students and a University of Florida professor. The March 28 injunction ruling focused on the students, who are from China and say the law has prevented them from working as graduate teaching assistants, positions that carry stipends and other benefits. The students, Zhipeng Yin and Zhen Guo, received what are known as F-1 visas from the federal government to study in the U.S. U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez approved recommendations from U.S. Magistrate Judge Eduardo Sanchez, who said federal law governs such immigration and national-security issues. But the brief field Monday disputed that the state law (SB 846) was 'preempted' by federal laws. Uthmeier's office is representing the defendants, members of the state university system's Board of Governors, system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. 'In essence, the (district) court held that a state university must hire an alien student, no matter the security risks, because years earlier the federal government gave that student an F-1 visa and ran a cursory background check,' the brief said. Also, the state's lawyers contended that 'Congress simply intended to provide a floor with its security review, not a ceiling' as part of the F-1 visa process. 'Nothing in the F-1 visa statutes or regulations indicate that Congress saw State Department desk agents as the first, last, and only line of defense against threats to the nation or to informational security,' the state's lawyers wrote. But in his recommendations, Sanchez, the magistrate judge, wrote that the state law 'requires the Board of Governors to make a national security determination about foreign students seeking employment at state colleges and universities, just as the federal government does when determining eligibility for and issuing visas to those students.' 'For example, although a student visa holder will have been found by the federal government to meet all of the eligibility requirements for the issued student visa, including satisfaction of national security concerns, SB 846 requires the state of Florida to conduct an independent assessment of national security concerns that may result in a conflicting national security determination,' Sanchez wrote. 'Indeed, SB 846's application to students who have been granted student visas serves no purpose other than to revisit, question and potentially seek to override the federal immigration determination that the pertinent student does not pose a national security concern.' The state law was part of a package of changes that the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved largely targeting China. Along with China, it sought to prevent involvement in the higher-education system by Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria. The law prevents universities and colleges from employing people who are 'domiciled' in China and the other countries, unless the people go through a process to get approval from the Board of Governors or the State Board of Education, which oversees colleges. The magistrate's recommendations, filed Feb. 10, said Yin is pursuing doctoral studies in computer and information sciences, while Guo is studying materials engineering. In 2023, they were initially offered graduate teaching positions, which included annual stipends of $27,510 and tuition waivers, but were later told that the teaching positions were deferred because of the state law. They remained students at FIU but had to pay full tuition, Sanchez wrote. The state quickly appealed the injunction ruling and raised a series of issues in Monday's brief. For example, the brief disputed that the students had legal standing to sue the Board of Governors because FIU — not the statewide board — denied their employment. More broadly, the brief said the state 'enacted SB 846 to protect its citizens from nefarious foreign-government influence by barring hostile foreign governments and their potential agents from stealing sensitive information at Florida's public universities.' The state also has asked the Atlanta-based appeals court for a stay of the injunction while the underlying appeal plays out. The court had not ruled on that request as of Wednesday morning. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond
New College of Florida's recent firing of a Chinese professor under a contentious state law has drawn national attention and raised fresh concerns about academic freedom, xenophobia and the direction of higher education in Florida. Professor Kevin Wang, a Chinese asylum seeker with work authorization in the United States, was abruptly dismissed last month under a 2023 state law known as SB 846 that restricts Florida's public colleges and universities from hiring staff from China and other nations labeled 'countries of concern.' According to civil rights advocates and scholars, this appears to be the first time an asylum seeker has been removed from their position under the law. The firing comes amid heightened U.S.–China tensions and growing scrutiny of Chinese nationals in American academic institutions. But for students and observers of higher education, it signals something more immediate: a state-driven shift that may limit who can teach in public universities, threatening US scholarship. 'We see this trend, and a pattern of a less and less welcoming environment for Chinese students and international students overall,' said Gisela Kusakawa, the executive director of Asian American Scholar Forum. Many Asian American scholars 'came to the United States through the student visa pipeline, and so when we're talking about maintaining US competitiveness and being able to foster and nurture the best and brightest talents, cutting off this pipeline would effectively make the United States less competitive.' Signed into law less than two years ago, SB 846 limits public colleges and universities in Florida from entering into agreements with institutions affiliated with the governments of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela. It also goes a step further, restricting the ability of schools to simply hire employees from those countries who do not have a green card or full citizenship. 'Florida is taking action to stand against the United States' greatest geopolitical threat — the Chinese Communist Party,' Gov. Ron DeSantis said when he signed the bill into law. The law went into effect July 1, 2023, and is codified in Section 288.860 of the Florida Statutes. It includes a mechanism for exceptions, but only if such hires or partnerships are approved by the State University System's Board of Governors. Upon its passage, critics of the law focused on its impact on graduate students, who conduct research at Florida's universities. SB 846 has a disproportionate impact on Chinese academics. According to the Institute of International Education's recent annual Open Doors Report, more than 4,300 students from China were enrolled in Florida colleges and universities during the 2023–24 academic year, the second-largest group of international students in the state after those from India. The fifth-largest group of international students also hail from a so-called country of concern — Venezuela. Some 1,300 students from the South American nation studied in Florida last year, according to the report. Altogether, the Florida university system last year educated nearly 45,000 international students who pumped an estimated $1.5 billion into the state economy, the report noted. Wang's firing has become a flash point in a broader legal and civil rights battle over Florida's restrictions on hiring foreign nationals in public higher education. 'The unconstitutional Florida law named in the firing of this Chinese professor at New College of Florida codifies anti-Asian discrimination,' the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said in a recent Facebook post. 'It's why we're fighting it in court.' The ACLU of Florida is part of the legal team representing a University of Florida professor and two Chinese doctoral students who had been accepted to study and work at Florida International University in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of SB 846. The plaintiffs argue the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and is preempted by federal immigration and foreign affairs law. They likened the law to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States during a period of widespread anti-Chinese sentiment. On March 27 — just two weeks after Wang's firing — a federal judge in Miami issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking enforcement of the law's hiring restrictions as they apply to international students. The preliminary injunction applies to students statewide. Florida has since appealed that injunction and filed a motion to put the judge's ruling on hold. While the ruling specifically addressed international students, it may lay the groundwork for further legal challenges from faculty members. In an email to Suncoast Searchlight, Daniel Tilley, legal director of the ACLU of Florida and one of the attorneys in the case, said that professors like Wang 'should have a similarly strong claim.' While Florida's law has been on the books since mid-2023, Wang's dismissal appears to be the first publicly known case in which it was used to terminate an asylum-seeking professor. It also comes amid broader national efforts to detect foreign influence and espionage in U.S. research institutions — particularly from China. During the first Trump administration, the federal government launched the 'China Initiative,' a program intended to root out economic espionage but one that drew criticism for disproportionately targeting Asian American and Chinese scholars, often without clear evidence. Civil rights watchdogs warned that the initiative could fuel anti-Asian prejudice. In at least one case, federal officials wrongly accused a Chinese-born scientist of espionage. Other scholars left the U.S., citing an atmosphere of fear and discrimination. In one prominent case, a Florida researcher moved back to China, where he spearheaded the development of a rapid COVID-19 test. The policy was lifted in 2022, but a new push by House Republicans to block Chinese nationals from studying at U.S. universities signals renewed hostility toward academics from China. The crackdown on perceived foreign influence has been felt especially acutely in Florida, where state lawmakers also passed a measure in 2023 restricting Chinese citizens from purchasing property in the state. The measure, which is the subject of ongoing litigation, mirrors land and property ownership bans proposed by GOP-controlled statehouses across the country. 'Right now there's a bigger concern that what is happening in Florida is just sort of a taste of what may happen nationally on a federal level,' said Kusakawa, of the Asian American Scholar forum. Wang's firing drew surprise and condemnation. Rosie Levine, executive director of the US-China Education Trust, a Washington DC-based group focused on fostering academic exchange between the two countries, expressed alarm, describing the firing as 'scary.' 'Academics, for the most part, just really want to comply but aren't clear about how the regulations work,' Levine said, noting that it's 'extremely terrifying for their professors who are probably in similar situations, like this example, and saying, 'I don't want to be in the same position, but I don't know how to comply.'' Kusakawa, of the Asian American Scholar Forum, noted the irony in Wang's firing, given his open criticism of the Chinese government. 'Here you have someone that is anti-CCP vocally, to their detriment,' said Kusakawa, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. In the United States, she added, Wang 'should be getting sanctuary.' A student in Wang's class at New College told Suncoast Searchlight that the dismissal felt abrupt and wrong. 'It was barbaric,' said the student, who asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of reprisal from the college, which has a precedent of cracking down on student dissent. In 2024, the school punished students who protested its administration during graduation. 'You could say the feeling is grief, or something like that,' the student said. 'I mean, first you're shocked, and then you get angry, then sad and everything. At this point, it's been a couple of weeks, and I'm just moving on. I've accepted it.' This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida ‘countries of concern' law
A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called 'countries of concern,' including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract, citing a university regulation based on that law, known as SB 846. His letter of dismissal, which was reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight, stated that the school's decision to cancel his contract as an adjunct professor was 'not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.' Instead, it claimed, Wang's immigration status – and, implicitly, his country of origin – made him ineligible for employment at New College. His sudden ouster has sparked outrage among his students and raises questions about academic freedom as Florida's crackdown on foreign influence plays out on campuses across the state. The school also has not shied from bringing far-right figures to campus, hosting President Donald Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan for a roundtable talk that drew protests on March 20. It also marks the latest flashpoint at New College, a liberal arts school once known for its progressive student body that has become a high-profile ideological battleground after Gov. Ron DeSantis overhauled its leadership, installing political allies on the board of trustees and appointing former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran as president. Since the takeover, the college has drawn national scrutiny for dismantling its diversity office, discarding books, and implementing a new athletics program – a dramatic shift in identity that continues to ripple through campus life. For Wang, his firing carried echoes of the political repression he fled in China, he told Suncoast Searchlight during an interview this week on campus. He also shared a letter that further elaborated his thoughts on the matter. 'Before coming to the United States in May 2022, I was a university professor in China,' Wang wrote in his letter for Suncoast Searchlight. 'I faced political repression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for criticizing Xi Jinping and the CCP's domestic and foreign policies, resulting in the loss of my teaching position and my freedom to teach, research, and express myself in China. 'I never expected to face such a distressing experience after escaping persecution from the CCP in China, only to encounter a somewhat similar situation' at New College in the United States. Wang asked Suncoast Searchlight to refer to him by his English name only due to fear of reprisals from the Chinese government. The New College attorney who signed Wang's letter of dismissal did not respond to a request for comment. The Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Department of Education did not respond to a question about whether SB 846 applies to asylum-seekers from 'countries of concern.' The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023 – three weeks before Wang was first offered a job at New College – states that schools 'may not accept any grant from or participate in any agreement with any college or university based in a foreign country of concern' without the express approval of the Board of Governors. It also restricts state colleges and universities from entering into partnerships with 'foreign principals' – meaning foreign government officials from those countries, but also '[a]ny person who is domiciled in a foreign country of concern and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.' After SB 846 passed, the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees public colleges and universities in the state, followed up with its own guidance defining 'domicile' as 'a physical presence in a foreign country of concern with an intent to return thereto' and further defining 'intent' as being demonstrated by 'an absence of seeking citizenship in the United States.' Wang is the only asylum seeker identified by Suncoast Searchlight who has been targeted by the law. 'This is the first case I've heard of this,' said Helena Tetzeli, a Miami-based immigration lawyer. Tetzeli said that while Wang's firing may have been in compliance with SB 846, the Florida law itself could conflict with anti-discrimination provisions in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Whether Wang was fired improperly, Tetzeli said, 'really depends on whether or not this law [is] ultimately found to be unconstitutional.' The law was met with outrage across state public universities as students and faculty denounced the legislation as discriminatory. The University of Florida Student Senate passed a resolution in February 2024 condemning the measure for its impact on international graduate students who typically work as research or teaching assistants while pursuing their doctoral degrees. The resolution called these students 'integral to academic and scientific advancement.' A month later, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance filed a lawsuit on behalf of a University of Florida professor and two Chinese students at Florida International University, arguing that SB 846 violates the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and contradicts federal employment and immigration laws. Plaintiffs in the suit compared Florida's law to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. during a period of widespread anti-Chinese racism. It is unclear how many other academics have been fired since the passage of SB 846 – or how the law, which limits the pool of applicants for research positions in the Florida school system, has impacted academic brain drain from the state. Zhengfei Guan, an agricultural economist and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, argued that the law's passage has made it harder for him to recruit and hire high-quality researchers and postdoctoral fellows. In a statement, Gisela Kusakawa, the executive director of Asian American Scholar Forum wrote that the law 'creates an hostile atmosphere that prospective students and faculty will want to avoid. In February, a federal magistrate judge recommended that U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez issue an injunction to temporarily suspend the law's enforcement. Martinez has not yet acted on this. Early on the morning of March 10, before New College's bayfront campus stirred to life with the bustle of students, Wang sent what seemed like a routine administrative email. He had not been receiving paychecks at all this semester, he wrote to his department chair. And he wondered when the situation would be resolved or if there was anything he could do to facilitate. He ended the email with a customary 'thank you' and 'have a nice week,' and hoped for a quick fix. But Wang's message set off a chain of internal correspondence that would end, just two days later, with his firing – and with no opportunity to say goodbye to his students, according to an interview with Wang and a trove of emails Suncoast Searchlight obtained through a public records request to the school. 'Oh, heavens! We will get this fixed,' replied Maribeth Clark, the chair of the Humanities Division, about an hour and a half later. Clark, apparently realizing what happened, sent an email to the provost, David Rohrbacher, apologizing for having forgotten to submit an employment agreement form for Wang at the start of the semester in January. 'We tried something different this year with an offer letter for adjuncts that covered the whole year,' she wrote. 'Then, in January, we realized that we needed to create EAFs for each semester. We just missed this one.' Just before noon, Wang received an email from Erin Fisher, associate vice president of Human Resources, Digital Learning and Dual Enrollment. 'In going through our records, a question came up on your file,' Fisher wrote. 'Do you have documentation of lawful permanent resident status? If so, please provide to us by close of business today.' Wang replied that afternoon that he had already submitted documentation of his work authorization. 'When I applied for this position, I only required valid work authorization in the U.S. My immigration status is currently being processed, but I am uncertain when it will be completed,' he wrote. 'I assure you that I am in the U.S. legally at this time.' Rohrbacher weighed in at noon the next day. 'I think this explains what happened,' Rohrbacher replied, writing that Wang 'was hired legally but when countries of concern was passed no one went back and checked again.' Another professor of Chinese Language and Culture who was made aware of the situation reached out to Rohrbacher via email the same day to express her concerns that Wang might be fired. 'We all know how disruptive it would be if he had to stop teaching in the middle of the semester. We should try our best to prevent that from happening, for the sake of the students' learning and well being,' wrote Jing Zhang, who also is New College's director of International Studies. Rohrbacher responded the next morning. 'Everyone wants Kevin to stay,' he wrote. 'The lawyers are trying to determine whether his reappointment violates the BOG 'countries of concern' rule and we'll have to see what they come up with.' Hours later, the college informed Wang his contract had been cancelled, effective immediately. 'Almost at the same time, they closed my NCF account,' Wang told Suncoast Searchlight. 'I cannot get into my email and cannot even say goodbye to my students.' Instead, he texted his students and sent them an email from his personal account notifying them that he had been dismissed. New College has scrambled to fill the teaching gap left by Wang's dismissal. But students in the Humanities Division were blindsided by his firing, according to emails obtained through the public records request and texts from Wang's students that Suncoast Searchlight reviewed. In an email to Rohrbacher requesting a meeting between Wang's students and New College administrators, Clark, the chair of the humanities department, wrote that the students had expressed a 'high level of anger' about Wang's removal. Wang, meanwhile, said he is preparing to leave Florida but that he will remain in the United States while pursuing his bid for asylum. Although he's upset about what happened, he said, he must now focus on what comes next. 'As an adjunct, I do not have much time or energy to delve deeply into this matter,' he wrote in his letter to Suncoast Searchlight, 'but I truly hope that such interference undermining academic freedom will not occur again in a place that claims to be a 'beacon of democracy.'' This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at
The Guardian
29-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Florida college fires Chinese professor under state's ‘countries of concern' law
The New College of Florida has fired a Chinese language professor under a state law that restricts Florida's public universities from hiring individuals they deem to be from 'countries of concern'. On Friday, Suncoast Searchlight reported the firing of Kevin Wang, a professor who has sought asylum in the US and is authorized to work in the country. According to the outlet, Wang had been teaching classes in Chinese language and culture for nearly two years when he was fired on 12 March. According to his dismissal letter, which Suncoast Searchlight reviewed, the New College of Florida's decision to terminate Wang's contract was 'not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action'. Instead, the college cited state law SB 846 which states that schools 'may not accept any grant from or participate in any agreement with any college or university based in a foreign country of concern' without the approval from the board of governors, Suncoast Searchlight reports. According to the law, the so-called 'countries of concern' include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria. The law, which went into effect in July 2023, also prevents state universities from entering into partnerships with 'any person who is domiciled in a foreign country of concern and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States'. Suncoast Searchlight reports that Wang, who was hired by the New College of Florida three weeks after the state law went into effect, said that before he came to the US in May 2022, he was a university professor in China. 'I faced political repression from the Chinese Communist Party for criticizing Xi Jinping and the CCP's domestic and foreign policies, resulting in the loss of my teaching position and my freedom to teach, research, and express myself in China,' Wang told the outlet. 'I never expected to face such a distressing experience after escaping persecution from the CCP in China, only to encounter a somewhat similar situation at New College in the United States,' he added. According to Wang, he is preparing to leave Florida but will remain in the US as he continues his pursuit of his asylum bid. 'As an adjunct, I do not have much time or energy to delve deeply into this matter …but I truly hope that such interference undermining academic freedom will not occur again in a place that claims to be a 'beacon of democracy',' Wang told Suncoast Searchlight. As part of Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis's culture wars against 'wokeness' across various institutions including universities, the New College of Florida – a historically liberal arts school – has in recent months hired ideologically aligned rightwing faculty and staff for various positions. In November, the university reinstated a course on 'wokeness' taught by Andrew Doyle, a British comedian and historian whose course described 'wokeness' as a 'kind of cult' with 'disciples … [who] have insinuated themselves into all of our major institutions'. Meanwhile, last September, the college hosted Steve Sailer, who has been described as a 'white supremacist', at a public event on how 'periods of heightened activism correlated with increased crime rates'.
Miami Herald
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida ‘countries of concern' law
A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called 'countries of concern,' including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract, citing a university regulation based on that law, known as SB 846. His letter of dismissal, which was reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight, stated that the school's decision to cancel his contract as an adjunct professor was 'not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.' Instead, it claimed, Wang's immigration status – and, implicitly, his country of origin – made him ineligible for employment at New College. His sudden ouster has sparked outrage among his students and raises questions about academic freedom as Florida's crackdown on foreign influence plays out on campuses across the state. The school also has not shied from bringing far-right figures to campus, hosting President Donald Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan for a roundtable talk that drew protests on March 20. It also marks the latest flashpoint at New College, a liberal arts school once known for its progressive student body that has become a high-profile ideological battleground after Gov. Ron DeSantis overhauled its leadership, installing political allies on the board of trustees and appointing former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran as president. Since the takeover, the college has drawn national scrutiny for dismantling its diversity office, discarding books, and implementing a new athletics program – a dramatic shift in identity that continues to ripple through campus life. For Wang, his firing carried echoes of the political repression he fled in China, he told Suncoast Searchlight during an interview this week on campus. He also shared a letter that further elaborated his thoughts on the matter. 'Before coming to the United States in May 2022, I was a university professor in China,' Wang wrote in his letter for Suncoast Searchlight. 'I faced political repression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for criticizing Xi Jinping and the CCP's domestic and foreign policies, resulting in the loss of my teaching position and my freedom to teach, research, and express myself in China. 'I never expected to face such a distressing experience after escaping persecution from the CCP in China, only to encounter a somewhat similar situation' at New College in the United States. Wang asked Suncoast Searchlight to refer to him by his English name only due to fear of reprisals from the Chinese government. The New College attorney who signed Wang's letter of dismissal did not respond to a request for comment. The Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Department of Education did not respond to a question about whether SB 846 applies to asylum-seekers from 'countries of concern.' The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023 – three weeks before Wang was first offered a job at New College – states that schools 'may not accept any grant from or participate in any agreement with any college or university based in a foreign country of concern' without the express approval of the Board of Governors. It also restricts state colleges and universities from entering into partnerships with 'foreign principals' – meaning foreign government officials from those countries, but also '[a]ny person who is domiciled in a foreign country of concern and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.' After SB 846 passed, the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees public colleges and universities in the state, followed up with its own guidance defining 'domicile' as 'a physical presence in a foreign country of concern with an intent to return thereto' and further defining 'intent' as being demonstrated by 'an absence of seeking citizenship in the United States.' Wang is the only asylum seeker identified by Suncoast Searchlight who has been targeted by the law. 'This is the first case I've heard of this,' said Helena Tetzeli, a Miami-based immigration lawyer. Tetzeli said that while Wang's firing may have been in compliance with SB 846, the Florida law itself could conflict with anti-discrimination provisions in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Whether Wang was fired improperly, Tetzeli said, 'really depends on whether or not this law [is] ultimately found to be unconstitutional.' The law was met with outrage across state public universities as students and faculty denounced the legislation as discriminatory. The University of Florida Student Senate passed a resolution in February 2024 condemning the measure for its impact on international graduate students who typically work as research or teaching assistants while pursuing their doctoral degrees. The resolution called these students 'integral to academic and scientific advancement.' A month later, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance filed a lawsuit on behalf of a University of Florida professor and two Chinese students at Florida International University, arguing that SB 846 violates the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and contradicts federal employment and immigration laws. Plaintiffs in the suit compared Florida's law to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. during a period of widespread anti-Chinese racism. It is unclear how many other academics have been fired since the passage of SB 846 – or how the law, which limits the pool of applicants for research positions in the Florida school system, has impacted academic brain drain from the state. Zhengfei Guan, an agricultural economist and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, argued that the law's passage has made it harder for him to recruit and hire high-quality researchers and postdoctoral fellows. In a statement, Gisela Kusakawa, the executive director of Asian American Scholar Forum wrote that the law 'creates an hostile atmosphere that prospective students and faculty will want to avoid. In February, a federal magistrate judge recommended that U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez issue an injunction to temporarily suspend the law's enforcement. Martinez has not yet acted on this. A Routine Email. A Sudden Dismissal. Early on the morning of March 10, before New College's bayfront campus stirred to life with the bustle of students, Wang sent what seemed like a routine administrative email. He had not been receiving paychecks at all this semester, he wrote to his department chair. And he wondered when the situation would be resolved or if there was anything he could do to facilitate. He ended the email with a customary 'thank you' and 'have a nice week,' and hoped for a quick fix. But Wang's message set off a chain of internal correspondence that would end, just two days later, with his firing – and with no opportunity to say goodbye to his students, according to an interview with Wang and a trove of emails Suncoast Searchlight obtained through a public records request to the school. 'Oh, heavens! We will get this fixed,' replied Maribeth Clark, the chair of the Humanities Division, about an hour and a half later. Clark, apparently realizing what happened, sent an email to the provost, David Rohrbacher, apologizing for having forgotten to submit an employment agreement form for Wang at the start of the semester in January. 'We tried something different this year with an offer letter for adjuncts that covered the whole year,' she wrote. 'Then, in January, we realized that we needed to create EAFs for each semester. We just missed this one.' Just before noon, Wang received an email from Erin Fisher, associate vice president of Human Resources, Digital Learning and Dual Enrollment. 'In going through our records, a question came up on your file,' Fisher wrote. 'Do you have documentation of lawful permanent resident status? If so, please provide to us by close of business today.' Wang replied that afternoon that he had already submitted documentation of his work authorization. 'When I applied for this position, I only required valid work authorization in the U.S. My immigration status is currently being processed, but I am uncertain when it will be completed,' he wrote. 'I assure you that I am in the U.S. legally at this time.' Rohrbacher weighed in at noon the next day. 'I think this explains what happened,' Rohrbacher replied, writing that Wang 'was hired legally but when countries of concern was passed no one went back and checked again.' Another professor of Chinese Language and Culture who was made aware of the situation reached out to Rohrbacher via email the same day to express her concerns that Wang might be fired. 'We all know how disruptive it would be if he had to stop teaching in the middle of the semester. We should try our best to prevent that from happening, for the sake of the students' learning and well being,' wrote Jing Zhang, who also is New College's director of International Studies. Rohrbacher responded the next morning. 'Everyone wants Kevin to stay,' he wrote. 'The lawyers are trying to determine whether his reappointment violates the BOG 'countries of concern' rule and we'll have to see what they come up with.' Hours later, the college informed Wang his contract had been cancelled, effective immediately. 'Almost at the same time, they closed my NCF account,' Wang told Suncoast Searchlight. 'I cannot get into my email and cannot even say goodbye to my students.' Instead, he texted his students and sent them an email from his personal account notifying them that he had been dismissed. New College has scrambled to fill the teaching gap left by Wang's dismissal. But students in the Humanities Division were blindsided by his firing, according to emails obtained through the public records request and texts from Wang's students that Suncoast Searchlight reviewed. In an email to Rohrbacher requesting a meeting between Wang's students and New College administrators, Clark, the chair of the humanities department, wrote that the students had expressed a 'high level of anger' about Wang's removal. Wang, meanwhile, said he is preparing to leave Florida but that he will remain in the United States while pursuing his bid for asylum. Although he's upset about what happened, he said, he must now focus on what comes next. 'As an adjunct, I do not have much time or energy to delve deeply into this matter,' he wrote in his letter to Suncoast Searchlight, 'but I truly hope that such interference undermining academic freedom will not occur again in a place that claims to be a 'beacon of democracy.'' This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at
