#366 12/1 Meeting; Giving Tuesday; Yanping Chen; Internatonal Students; CAIR Sues; US Data+

In This Issue #366

·       2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

·       Giving Tuesday - Consider APA Justice 

·       Herridge Petition in Yanping Chen v FBI et al

·       International Students Drop | Serica Storytellers

·       CAIR Sues Texas Officials Over Terror Group Designation

·       The U.S. Needs Better Data

·       News and Activities for the Communities

2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, December 1, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from:

·       Judith Teruya, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)

·       Joanna YangQing Derman, Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC

·       Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF)

We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: 

·       Kin Yan Hui, National President, Chinese American Citizens Alliance 

·       Patrick Toomey, Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

·       Edgar Chen, Special Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 

The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the Co-Organizers of APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org.    

*****The American Civil Liberties Union is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. Patrick Toomey works on issues related to privacy and surveillance, racial and ethnic discrimination, and the use of novel technologies like artificial intelligence. His litigation and advocacy often focus on national security prosecutions or policies where these issues intersect. Patrick has litigated high-profile cases challenging sweeping surveillance programs operated by U.S. intelligence agencies, and has represented Asian American scientists who have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. government.  Patrick returns to provide updates on recent ACLU activities.The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), "The Voice for 80,000 AANHPI Legal Professionals," held its annual convention on November 6-8, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.  On November 25, 2025, NAPABA issued a joint statement with local affiliates in response to the Eleventh Circuit split decision upholding Florida’s discriminatory Alien Land Law SB264.  As Senior Advisor for NAPABA, Edgar Chen returns to update us on the latest from NAPABA.

Giving Tuesday - Consider APA Justice

GivingTuesday is an annual global day of generosity that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It serves as a counterpoint to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday by encouraging people to donate to charities, volunteer their time, or perform acts of kindness. Created in 2012, the movement has grown into a large-scale effort that raises billions of dollars for nonprofits and fosters a spirit of giving back. APA Justice has been advancing fairness, equity, and belonging for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for the past 10 years. We identify emerging issues through coalition work, community engagement, and data insights. We educate policymakers and allies through media collaboration, an online resource hub, and regular briefings. And we mobilize communities to advocate for practical solutions and stronger civic participation.Your support strengthens civil rights protections, elevates AAPI voices, and helps build a more inclusive America. Now, as a powered by the Committee of 100 initiative, APA Justice invites you to make a tax-deductible contribution to sustain this work at: https://bit.ly/Donate2APAJustice.

Herridge Petition in Yanping Chen v FBI et al

On November 14, 2025, former journalist Catherine Herridge filed a petition with the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in the case of Yanping Chen v FBI et al. Herridge was previously held in civil contempt for refusing to identify the confidential sources she used in Fox News reports about a counterintelligence investigation into Dr. Yanping Chen—an investigation that never resulted in any charges. Dr. Chen alleges that federal officials unlawfully leaked her private information to Herridge in violation of the Privacy Act.Herridge was held in civil contempt for refusing to disclose her confidential sources in a Privacy Act lawsuit filed by Dr. Yanping Chen against federal agencies, including the FBI.  Dr. Chen alleged that federal officials leaked her private information to Herridge, which was used in Fox News reports about a counterespionage investigation into Dr. Chen, who was never charged for any wrongdoing.Herridge invoked the First Amendment reporter’s privilege to protect her sources, but the District Court ruled that Dr. Chen had met the criteria to overcome the privilege, citing the centrality of the information and exhaustion of alternative sources. Herridge appealed. The three-judge panel of the Appeals Court affirmed the District Court’s decision with a 3-0 ruling, stating that the reporter’s privilege can be overcome in Privacy Act cases when centrality and exhaustion are established.Herridge has now petitioned for a rehearing by the three-judge panel and rehearing en banc by the entire Appeals Court in the DC Circuit.  To learn more about the case, read the summary of the November 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting led by Dr. Chen's attorney Andrew Phillips and the APA Justice web page on Dr. Chen.

International Students Drop | Serica Storytellers

According to NBC News on November 17, 2025, U.S. colleges and universities experienced a steep 17% decline in new international enrollment for fall 2025 amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.New data from the Institute of International Education confirms this is the largest non-pandemic drop in more than a decade and follows a 7% decrease the previous academic year. More than half of the 825 surveyed institutions reported declines, with 96% citing visa application problems as a major obstacle.Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said visa delays and denials have made the U.S. “less competitive” globally, noting that “the U.S. is no longer the central place that students aspire to come to.” She also pointed to the Trump administration’s pause of new student visa interviews in May, which created severe backlogs.The downturn carries significant economic consequences. NAFSA estimates a $1.1 billion loss to the U.S. economy this year due to fewer international students. Last year, international students contributed nearly $43 billion and supported more than 355,000 U.S. jobs by spending on tuition, housing, services, insurance, and local goods.On December 2, 2025, the Serica Initiative will co-host an in-person event with David Wu, President, Baruch College, CUNY, and Frank Wu, President, Queens College, CUNY. As federal visa policies evolve, international students at City University of New York (CUNY) campuses face growing uncertainty.  This timely conversation explores how student visa revocations are reshaping New York’s educational landscape.  The panel delves into how immigration policy shifts ripple across classrooms, immigrant communities, and the city’s public higher education system — and how institutions can better advocate for and support affected students.The event will be moderated by Joan Kaufman, Senior Director for Academic Programs, the Schwarzman Scholars Program, and held at Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY, 219 W 40th St 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018. For more information and registration, please visit: https://bit.ly/47RWYHn

CAIR Sues Texas Officials Over Terror Group Designation

On November 20, 2025, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a lawsuit, Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas Dallas Fort Worth v. Abbott (1:25-cv-01878), in the U.S. District Court for West Texas against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over Abbott’s proclamation designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organization on November 18.

The designation prevents CAIR from acquiring property in Texas and imposes civil and criminal penalties, which the plaintiffs argue harm their advocacy work, fundraising, and reputation.

CAIR argues in the lawsuit that Abbott acted to defame the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR contends that the proclamation violates constitutional rights, including protections for property and free speech, and strongly rejects Abbott’s characterization of CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist” and “transnational criminal” organizations.

The lawsuit also notes that CAIR condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, contradicting Abbott’s allegations that CAIR’s executive director “publicly praised and supported” the attack.

According to The Guardian, only the U.S. Secretary of State can officially designate foreign terrorist organizations under federal law. Abbott’s proclamation is tied to his broader efforts in Texas related to “foreign adversaries” and land restrictions. It bars CAIR members from purchasing land in Texas and allows Paxton to sue entities linked to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood, but it does not carry federal immigration consequences, asset freezes, or criminal penalties.

Abbott justified the designation by citing a 2007 case involving CAIR and the Holy Land Foundation; CAIR was never indicted and has denied the allegations.According to The Guardian, only the U.S. secretary of state can officially designate foreign terrorist organizations under federal law. Abbott’s proclamation is tied to his broader efforts in Texas related to “foreign adversaries” and land restrictions. It bars CAIR members from purchasing land in Texas and allows Paxton to sue entities linked to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood, but it does not carry federal immigration consequences, asset freezes, or criminal penalties.

Lena Masri, CAIR’s Litigation Director, said the lawsuit is “our first step toward defeating Governor Abbott again so that our nation protects free speech and due process for all Americans.” She warned, “No civil rights organization is safe if a governor can baselessly and unilaterally declare any of them terrorist groups, ban them from buying land, and threaten them with closure.”

Several Republican officials previously called for an investigation into CAIR’s funding. CAIR has won three prior cases challenging Abbott’s alleged First Amendment violations.

·       2025/11/20 Politico: CAIR Sues Texas Officials over Terror Group Designation

·       2025/11/20 Houston Chronicle: Muslim civil rights group CAIR sues Greg Abbott over 'unconstitutional' terrorist designation

·       2025/11/18 The Guardian: Texas governor Abbott designates Cair and Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups

·       2025/11/18 New York Times: Texas Governor Declares Muslim Civil Rights Group a ‘Terrorist Organization’

·       2025/11/18 Washington Post: Texas governor declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization

The U.S. Needs Better Data

According to Barron's on November 22, 2025, good data matter more than ever in a complicated world, and the U.S. is falling behind.The recent 43-day government shutdown exposed how essential—and fragile—America’s federal statistical system has become. When agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics stopped collecting and publishing key indicators, policymakers, businesses, and investors were left without reliable information on unemployment, inflation, retail sales, and more. Although critics have questioned data accuracy in recent years, the shutdown made clear that federal statistics remain the “gold standard.” Yet this gold standard is eroding due to shrinking budgets, declining survey participation, and significant staff losses, all of which lead to larger revisions and slower, less reliable reporting.Part of the challenge lies in structural limitations: much of U.S. economic data still relies on labor-intensive surveys of businesses and households, even as response rates fall and the economy evolves more rapidly. While private firms now generate high-frequency, real-time data—ranging from digital payments to satellite imagery—federal agencies have been slow to adopt these sources due to cost, technical barriers, and the difficulty of processing large, unstructured datasets. Still, promising efforts exist. The Chicago Fed, for example, has blended traditional government data with private-sector sources to provide more timely labor and retail indicators that closely track official statistics.Looking ahead, experts argue that the U.S. needs a more modern, collaborative, and better-funded statistical system. Solutions include expanding blended-data approaches, adopting standardized employer records like those piloted by the U.S. Chamber Foundation, and even consolidating major statistical units into a single national statistics agency—something every other G-7 country already has. Although America’s decentralized system offers some protections against data manipulation, the growing risks of outdated, incomplete, or delayed information are becoming too large to ignore. With the economy and population shifting quickly, safeguarding and enhancing the nation’s data infrastructure is essential for informed decisions by policymakers, businesses, and the public.

News and Activities for the Communities

1. APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2025/12/01 Cook County Circuit Court Hearing - Estate of Jane Wu v Northwestern University2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/12/02 Serica Storytellers: The Presidents | David Wu & Frank Wu2025/12/08 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Alice Young2026/01/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2026/01/13 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China RelationsVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 

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APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community.  For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org. We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org.