#340 C100/Paul Cheung; More on Student Visas; Birthright Citizenship; AI Checks on Trump; +

In This Issue #340

·        Introduction of C100 President Paul Cheung

·        Social Media Checks on Student Visa Applications

·        A Fractured Future for Birthright Citizenship

·        What Five AI Models Say About President Trump’s Claims

·        News and Activities for the Communities

Introduction of C100 President Paul Cheung

  At the APA Justice monthly meeting on July 7, 2025, Paul Cheung 鄭文耀, the new President of the Committee of 100 (C100), offered introductory remarks outlining his professional background and vision for the organization. With over two decades of experience in journalism and philanthropy, Paul previously led digital innovation at the Associated Press and the Miami Herald, and later focused on technology-driven equity initiatives at the Knight Foundation. He emphasized that his career has been defined by building strategic partnerships and using technology to dismantle systemic barriers—whether in journalism, misinformation, or civil rights.

Paul sees strong alignment between C100’s mission and that of APA Justice and other advocacy organizations. In his view, defending AAPI rights requires more than passion—it demands strategy, cross-sector collaboration, and coordinated action. Reflecting on his past work covering civil rights and leading foundation programs, he stressed that legal victories alone are not enough unless they are paired with cultural and public narrative change. For C100, that means not only amplifying partners’ work but also helping to shift the broader conversation about Chinese American identity and inclusion.Acknowledging the evolving U.S.–China relationship, Paul pointed out that geopolitical tensions between the two countries will likely persist, regardless of administration. These tensions have direct consequences for Chinese Americans and other immigrant communities. As a result, C100 is rethinking how it approaches its advocacy—not simply by sharing how policy changes impact Asian Americans, but by demonstrating how they affect all Americans. He called for renewed efforts to uplift Chinese American contributions to U.S. history—from birthright citizenship to building the transcontinental railroad—as essential to understanding what is at stake if these communities are sidelined.Looking ahead, Paul emphasized C100’s commitment to working collaboratively with partners to inform and shape policy change. He highlighted the State of Chinese Americans research as one example of a tool that can support broader coalition efforts. Paul welcomed opportunities to meet with APA Justice participants individually to learn about their work and explore synergies. He concluded by thanking APA Justice and its leadership for hosting the conversation and expressed enthusiasm about building deeper partnerships to advance shared goals of equity, inclusion, and constructive dialogue.A video of Paul's talk is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sQHwSNRMfQ (3:30)A summary of the July 7 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time.   

Social Media Checks on Student Visa Applications

Author: Madeleine Gable, APA Justice Communications InternAccording to POLITICO, The Intercept, and other media sources, the State Department’s new student visa social media vetting process includes a list of 20 social media platforms. Applicants are asked to make their accounts public, a task that could prove difficult to accomplish as a quarter of platforms listed in the online application are now defunct.In late June, after a three-week suspension of student visa interviews, the State Department resumed processing with a stricter social media vetting protocol. The process applies to all foreign nationals who apply for F (academic students), M (vocational students), and J (exchange visitor) visa applicants, including applicants who have already been interviewed but have not been finally approved.The State Department directs consular officers to flag “applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism” and directs them to “consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States.”  It states that this screening will apply for both new and returning student visa applicants. Consular officers must take “detailed case notes” about their review of applicants’ online presences and “take screenshots to preserve the record against possible later alteration or loss of the information.”The online student visa application requires applicants to provide the usernames for “each social media platform you have used within the last five years” from a list of 20 services. However, many of the services listed have not been operational for years. Some of the listed, obsolete platforms include Vine, which closed in 2017; Google+, which stopped operating in 2019; and the dating site Twoo, which shut down in 2021.

Since 2019, most visa applicants have been required to disclose their social media usernames. The Trump administration’s “expanded screening and vetting process” applies to F, M, and J visa applicants. Provided social media accounts will subsequently be checked for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.”Of the seven regional services listed, five are Chinese — Douban (豆瓣), Qzone (QQ空间), Sina Weibo (新浪微博), Tencent Weibo (腾讯微博), and Youku (优酷). Tencent Weibo, a microblogging service, shut down in 2020. The other two regional services are Ask.fm, a Latvian Q&A site, and VKontakte (VK), a Russian social networking, messaging, and entertainment app.Despite including five Chinese services, the list leaves out Tencent’s WeChat (腾讯微信), the most popular social media app in China. The list also does not include TikTok or Truth Social, President Trump’s own social media platform.According to Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, “Now those who wanted to study in the U.S. to flee authoritarian governments abroad will have to make their social media public to those same governments to study here.”

A Fractured Future for Birthright Citizenship

Author: Madeleine Gable, APA Justice Communications InternOn June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled to allow President Donald Trump to continue to end the process of birthright citizenship in the U.S. Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) ending birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, but it was challenged and temporarily halted by lower courts. In their recent ruling, the Supreme Court did not address the constitutionality of President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, but it did limit the ability of individual judges in lower courts to block federal policies for the entire country. The Supreme Court is now the only court in the country that can block a presidential policy nationwide. Regarding the birthright citizenship executive order, the Supreme Court paused the order’s implementation for 30 days and returned pending lawsuits to lower courts to reassess the scope of relief. After the 30-day pause, the EO will take effect in the 28 states that have not challenged the measure.In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to limit nationwide injunctions, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) issued a statement expressing “deep disappointment” that the ruling “significantly weakens the ability of civil rights organizations to protect communities from unconstitutional federal actions when swift nationwide relief is urgently needed.” CACA’s statement points out that advocates must now fight the same battle in multiple jurisdictions, delaying justice and sowing confusion nationwide. CACA urges Congress to restore the ability of lower courts to provide comprehensive relief and warns civil rights advocates to prepare for a more fractured legal landscape.Read the full CACA statement here.

Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) issued a similar press release, asserting that the EO attempts to “unilaterally change the 14th Amendment” and threatens to “erode a foundational principle of American identity,” the constitutional promise of equality and inclusion. Such a measure will have serious consequences for all immigrant communities.Read the full APIAVote press release here.U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a former civil rights attorney, released the following statement:“President Trump’s attempt to curtail birthright citizenship for those born in the U.S. is clearly unconstitutional. This is why every federal court until now had blocked the executive order from going into effect. But instead of making a straightforward determination on the constitutionality of the EO, the Supreme Court has colluded with the Trump Administration to curtail the Judiciary Branch’s own power to protect Americans from illegal actions by the Executive Branch, starting with undermining birthright citizenship. Now that Trump’s birthright citizenship order may go into effect in 30 days unless more lawsuits are filed, American hospitals and state and local governments will be in limbo about something as basic as issuing birth certificates. Parents of newborns will have to scramble to make sure that they have the paperwork to show their citizenship or immigration status, even as they prepare to welcome a baby into their families. Once again with this Administration, it’s nothing but uncertainty and fear.”Read Senator Tim Kaine's statement here.

Chair Grace Meng of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued the following statement:“I am appalled by the Supreme Court’s decision to let the Trump administration push forward with its unconstitutional attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship. This reckless ruling opens the door to a future where states can decide who is an American citizen.  The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil—a principle upheld by this very Court over a century ago. Instead of ruling on the merits of this case, the Court has chosen to undermine judges’ abilities to block the administration’s unlawful actions that will only lead to more chaos and division.  While legal battles remain, CAPAC will continue to defend the Constitution and the bedrock principles that have allowed generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to call this country home. We will fight this executive order in every courtroom, in every state, across the country.”The American Immigration Council pointed out that after the 30-day pause, enforcement could vary widely by state or circuit, depending on how lower courts proceed. This raises the possibility of a patchwork legal system, where a child born to undocumented or immigrant parents might be a citizen in one state but not another.  For example, a baby born to undocumented or immigrant parents in California or Maryland might still be issued a U.S. birth certificate and recognized as a citizen (because of ongoing litigation there). But possibly, a baby born the same day in Texas or Florida might not be recognized as a U.S. citizen — depending on how lower federal courts deal with the existing lawsuits and whether new lawsuits are filed.

What Five AI Models Say About President Trump’s Claims

 On July 1, 2025, the Washington Post published an opinion by a team of senior scholars and researchers from the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute, led by Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.  

The team asked five leading AI systems—ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity—to evaluate 20 regularly repeated claims made by President Donald Trump. All five models debunked 15 of the statements outright, and partially rejected most of the remaining ones.  "Artificial intelligence discredited all the Trump claims we presented, fact-checking the president with startling accuracy and objective rigor," the opionion stated.For example, Trump’s assertions about tariffs—such as them not causing consumer price increases—were widely contradicted. ChatGPT noted that proposed tariffs "would likely raise consumer prices," while Grok estimated a 1–2.3% price increase per household. Similarly, his claim about the media being “dishonest” was challenged: Perplexity clarified that while there are errors, the U.S. media in general cannot be deemed “dishonest.” Another key contrast came with his statements on the Capitol riot and the 2020 election. ChatGPT asserted that celebrating the rioters "ignores the facts" and undermines democratic norms, while Gemini confirmed there was “no credible evidence” supporting claims of a stolen election The opinion emphasizes a stark dichotomy: either Trump’s claims are false, or the AI is deeply flawed. The models showed consistency and accuracy in their responses, offering a compelling challenge to his narrative—inviting readers to reflect on whether the problem lies with the politician or the technology.

These 14 questions were identified in the opinion:

1. Will Trump’s current tariff policies be inflationary?

2. Is the U.S. being taken advantage of on trade by its international partners?

3. Are Trump’s cryptocurrency investments a conflict of interest?

4. Has the Department of Government Efficiency actually “found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud”?

5. Is Harvard more antisemitic than other universities?

6. Is Trump right that the media is “dishonest” or “tells lies”?

7. Did the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that aired in October distort the truth and damage Trump’s candidacy?

8. Was the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 President Joe Biden’s fault?

9. Was the American economy the worst in its history under the Biden presidency?

10. Was the Biden administration responsible for higher levels of inflation following the covid-19 pandemic and through 2024?

11. Did 21 million illegal immigrants enter the United States [during the Biden administration]? And were many of them murderers, human traffickers, gang members, or other sorts of serious criminals?

12. Were the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters who stormed the capitol “patriots” or “heroes”?

13. Was the 2020 presidential election stolen from Trump?

14. Is Trump the most dishonest president in U.S. history?

Read the Washington Post opinion: https://bit.ly/44txfn3

News and Activities for the Communities

1. APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2025/07/09 8th Annual Congressional Reception2025/07/10 C100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with David Ho2025/07/10 ACLU's Civil Rights in the Digital Age AI Summit2025/07/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/07/25-27 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony 2025/07/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/07/29 C100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Linda Chao Yang2025/08/02-07 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 

2. Committee of 100 Conversations - "Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes"

WHAT: Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with David HoWHEN: July 10, 2025, 6:00 pm ET

WHERE: WebinarHOST:  Committee of 100Speaker:  Dr. David Ho, Founding Scientific Director, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research CenterModerator: Peter Young, CEO and President of Young & Partners; Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board MemberDESCRIPTION:  Dr. David Ho, pioneering AIDS research scientist, is a Professor of Medicine at Columbia University and the Founding Scientific Director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, whose elegant studies unraveled the dynamic nature of HIV replication in vivo and revolutionized our basic understanding of this horrific disease. This knowledge led him to champion combination antiretroviral therapy, which resulted in unprecedented control of HIV in patients. He will cover highlights and turning points in his career, his view of the factors that led to the innovations he pioneered, and the joys and challenges of scientific research in this country. He has received many awards, including Time Magazine Man of the Year.REGISTRATION: https://www.committee100.org/conversations-david-ho/

WHAT: Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Linda Tsao YangWHEN: July 29, 2025, 6:00 pm ETWHERE: WebinarHOST:  Committee of 100Speaker:  Linda Tsao Yang, Former U.S. Ambassador and first woman Executive Director appointed to Asian Development BankModerator: Calvin Tsao, Architect Principal at Tsao & McKown Architects and Committee of 100 MemberDESCRIPTION:  Linda Tsao Yang is a pioneer in the oversight of important financial institutions and the first woman and the first minority to represent the United States on the board of a multilateral financial institution. She served as U.S. Executive Director to the board of the Asian Development Bank in Manila, is Chair Emerita of the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA), was the first minority appointed to serve as California’s Savings and Loan Commissioner; and was also the first minority appointed to the board of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest public pension fund in the United States.Throughout her career she has directed and driven the institutions she has chaired towards policies and practices that were more equitable and enduring, guided by good governance, transparent information disclosure, improved rules on participation and consultation, a robust policies on gender—all at a time when women were virtually absent from senior leadership, let alone executive directorships or boardrooms.REGISTRATION: https://www.committee100.org/conversations-linda-tsao-yang/

3.  AAAS Tracks Federal R&D Workforce

On July 8, 2025, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) launched a tracker on the Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) of federal research and development (R&D) workers.  The metric adds up full-time, part-time, and other work types to represent a standard 40-hour work week employee.  The dashboard compiles the annually reported FTEs for key R&D intensive agencies and programs across the federal government.For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Ijajht.

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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.