Two graduate students from China, along with a professor, are suing Florida education officials to stop enforcement of a new state law that limits research exchanges between state universities and academics from seven prohibited countries. This law, passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, aims to prevent the Chinese Communist government and others from influencing the state’s public colleges and universities. The countries on the prohibited list are China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and Venezuela. The plaintiffs argue that the law is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and evokes memories of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, contends that the new law usurps the power of the federal government, which has exclusive authority over immigration, national security, and foreign affairs. The law has already impacted the plaintiffs’ academic pursuits, with two graduate students from China having to put their studies on hold, and a University of Florida professor unable to recruit the most qualified postdoctoral candidates to assist with his research. The plaintiffs claim they are not affiliated with the Chinese government or Communist Party.
While the law does allow for international students from the prohibited countries to be hired on a case-by-case basis with approval from the Board of Governors or the state Board of Education, the lawsuit argues that the law is vague and lacks adequate guidance. This, in turn, could lead to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement across Florida. The plaintiffs assert that the law will have stigmatizing effects against individuals from China and of Asian descent who are seeking academic employment in Florida’s public universities and colleges.
The plaintiffs are seeking to halt the enforcement of the law, claiming that it unfairly targets individuals from China and infringes on their rights. The governor’s office and the state Department of Education have not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. The plaintiffs argue that the new law not only impacts their academic pursuits but also has a broader negative impact on individuals from China and of Asian descent who are seeking academic opportunities in Florida’s public universities and colleges. They claim that the law’s vagueness and lack of guidance could lead to discriminatory enforcement across the state.
The lawsuit highlights the challenges faced by individuals from China and other prohibited countries in pursuing academic opportunities in Florida due to the new law. The plaintiffs argue that the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory, and could have far-reaching stigmatizing effects on individuals seeking academic employment in the state’s public universities and colleges. The outcome of the lawsuit could have implications not only for the plaintiffs but also for others who may be affected by the enforcement of the new law.
