#356 Ohio Rally; Mike German; Birthright Citizenship; 7/7 Meeting Summary; Student Arrivals

In This Issue #356

·       Ohio Residents Rally Against Anti-Immigrant Property Bills

·       Mike German Retires After Distinguished Career

·       Appeals Court Rules Against Trump Order to End Birthright Citizenship

·       July 2025 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted

·       International Student Arrivals Drop 19%

·       News and Activities for the Communities

Ohio Residents Rally Against Anti-Immigrant Property Bills

On September 27, 2025, hundreds of Ohio residents rallied at the Statehouse to protest Ohio House Bill 1 (HB1) and Senate Bill 88 (SB88), legislation they argue discriminates against immigrants from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Russia under the guise of national security. Organized by the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, Justice for Ohio, and the Ohio Chinese American Association, with support from 11 organizations including the ACLU of Ohio, the protest condemned the bills for threatening immigrants’ property rights and civil liberties. The Ohio HB1 and SB88 would bar non-U.S. citizens from these countries from owning or purchasing property, with SB88 mandating that affected property owners sell within two years. The bills also prohibit businesses controlled by “restricted persons” or headquartered in “foreign adversary” countries from owning Ohio real estate.

Critics argue Ohio HB1 and SB88 violate the U.S. Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, which bans discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or national origin in housing. They draw parallels to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and alien land laws, recalling historical injustices like the 1887 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre and the WWII incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Protesters also decried the Ohio HB1 and SB88’s use of an overly broad definition of “critical infrastructure”—including everyday facilities like cell towers, power lines, railroads, and water and sewage lines —to restrict property ownership within 25 miles of such sites, effectively covering most of Ohio. They warn this could displace families, workers, and businesses, devastating the state’s economy.

A similar Texas law, SB17, has already led to discriminatory lending practices, and Ohio residents fear HB1 and SB88 could trigger a similar chilling effect, forcing economic loss and displacement. The rally, attended by diverse communities including Asian, Black, White, Muslim, and faith leaders, urged lawmakers to halt the bills immediately.

Media reports:

·       Ohio Capital Journal: Demonstrators protest Ohio land ownership measures that target Chinese immigrants

·       The Lantern: House Bill 1, Senate Bill 88 Protested Saturday at the Ohio Statehouse

·       Toledo Free Press: Ohio Statehouse rally against HB1 and SB88

·       World Journal: 批俄州新法歧視華人 華社聚集州府抗議

·       Justice for Ohio: 9/27 People’s Rally against Ohio HB1/SB88 Recap Reel

Mike German Retires After Distinguished Career

Mike German, a longtime civil liberties advocate and former FBI agent, has retired from his position as a fellow in the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program. Widely respected for his expertise on privacy, civil liberties, and federal law enforcement reform, his retirement marks a significant loss to the national community of advocates and scholars.Mike spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on October 6, 2025, reflecting on his career and his work exposing white nationalism, government overreach, and the scapegoating of minority communities—including Asian Americans targeted under the China Initiative.

At the same meeting, Pat Eddington, Senior Fellow in Homeland Security and Civil Liberties at the Cato Institute, shared a blog post titled “A Retired FBI Agent’s Advice on Fighting Authoritarianism.” In it, he paid tribute to Mike:

“Mike’s well-earned rest from the insanity of the public policy arena will leave not just the Brennan Center without one of its most authoritative voices on civil liberties—his departure creates a void in the entire privacy and civil liberties professional community that absolutely nobody will be able to fill.”

Pat also noted that Mike leaves behind a powerful parting gift: thoughtful analysis and guidance on how to resist the growing tide of coercive, law enforcement-enabled authoritarianism emanating from Washington.

Mike’s final essay for the Brennan Center, “Federalism as a Check on Abuses by Federal Law Enforcement,” argues that state and local governments can—and must—counter federal overreach by conditioning their cooperation and ending partnerships when necessary. He reminds readers that federal agencies rely far more on local law enforcement collaboration than the reverse. The essay warns that unaccountable task forces, immigration raids, and fusion centers have eroded state and local control, often at the expense of community values and civil rights. Mike calls on state and local leaders to reassert their constitutional authority to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of residents from federal abuse.

A full summary of the October 6 APA Justice meeting is in preparation.

Appeals Court Rules Against Trump Order to End Birthright Citizenship

According to AP News, CBS, Newsweek, Reuters, The Hill, and multiple media reports, a federal appeals court in Boston has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the fifth federal court to block the president’s executive order on birthright citizenship, finding it likely unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.

Chief Judge David Barron, writing for the court, noted:

“Our nation’s history of efforts to restrict birthright citizenship — from Dred Scott in the decade before the Civil War to the attempted justification for the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Wong Kim Ark — has not been a proud one... Those efforts were rejected — once by the people through constitutional amendment in 1868 and once by the Court relying on that same amendment three decades later — at a time when tensions over immigration were also high.”

The court upheld nationwide injunctions halting enforcement of the order and warned against breaking from the nation’s longstanding tradition of recognizing birthright citizenship. California Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the ruling, calling it a vital protection of constitutional rights.A separate appeals court issued a similar decision. The ACLU emphasized that citizenship “cannot depend on a politician’s discretion.”In a statement, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the First Circuit for upholding the nationwide injunction. He called the ruling “as clear as it gets,” stating that there is “zero legitimate debate” — anyone born on U.S. soil is an American citizen under the Fourteenth Amendment. Tong added that his office will continue to “vigorously and relentlessly defend our nation of laws and the safety of our families.”Connecticut joined 17 other states, the District of Columbia, and the City of San Francisco in challenging the order. The Supreme Court previously struck down a nationwide injunction but remanded the case for further review. The U.S. District Court in Massachusetts reaffirmed the injunction, which has now been upheld by the First Circuit.Tong, who was born in Hartford and became the first U.S. citizen in his family by right of birth, noted the issue’s personal significance. He attended Supreme Court oral arguments on May 15, 2025, and discussed the matter earlier at the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 5, 2025.The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a definitive ruling on the legality of the president’s executive order on birthright citizenship.

July 2025 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted

Summary for the July 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted at https://bit.ly/3KGWFWQ.We thank these distinguished speakers for sharing their insightful remarks and updates:

·       Judith Teruya, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

·       Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC 

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

·       Paul Cheung 鄭文耀, President, Committee of 100

·       Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) 

·       Toby Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy, American Association of Universities (AAU)

·       Clay Zhu 朱可亮, Founder and President, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance

·       Tony Chan 陳繁昌, Former President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Former President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

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Toby Smith pointed out that American Association of Universities (AAU) priorities have not changed dramatically but the volume and nature of the challenges have evolved. Research Funding and Student Aid CutsThe most recent development is the Reconciliation Bill. AAU remains concerned about several of its implications, particularly regarding student aid. AAU saw reductions, including the cancellation of the Grad PLUS loan program and new caps on student loan amounts. While AAU successfully pushed back against some proposed restrictions—such as additional Pell Grant eligibility requirements that would have mandated taking more credit hours—other troubling elements remained.One particularly concerning provision was the increase in the endowment tax on private universities. The final version adopted the Senate’s smaller increase rather than the much higher rate proposed by the House, but it still represents a significant hit.Beyond the tax provisions, AAU's major focus continues to be on research funding. The proposed budget included a 40% reduction for NIH and a 56% cut to NSF. However, cuts began even before the budget was released, in the form of grant cancellations.In several cases, researchers were informed that grants—already funded and underway—were being terminated due to changes in administration priorities. Some of these grants were cut under the guise of opposing DEI, while others targeted areas such as climate change, AIDS, and vaccine research. This is deeply troubling.What’s especially concerning is the apparent weaponization of research funding as a punitive response to unrelated campus controversies—something AAU has seen at institutions like Harvard, Penn, and Columbia. Universities conduct research on behalf of the American people and serve as a primary mechanism through which our government advances innovation and discovery. When a cancer research grant is canceled mid-project, it doesn’t just hurt faculty or students—it undermines societal progress.Before World War II, universities were hesitant to accept federal funding due to fears of government interference in academic research. After the war, visionaries like Vannevar Bush helped establish a post-war scientific enterprise, convincing institutions that public funding and academic freedom could coexist. Unfortunately, today we are witnessing those old fears becoming reality once again.Legal Action and Public Advocacy Campaign:AAU has existed for 125 years—founded in 1900—and until this year, had never sued the federal government. Now, AAU has initiated four lawsuits, adding the Department of Defense to the list that already included NIH, NSF, and the Department of Energy. These lawsuits challenge the unilateral capping of indirect cost recovery—implemented without notice and in violation of OMB’s uniform grant guidance. The lawsuits have progressed well so far, and Toby remains optimistic. They are being pursued under the Administrative Procedure Act, not the broader issues addressed in recent Supreme Court decisions.More broadly, AAU has shifted into crisis-response mode. Increasing numbers of university presidents are traveling to D.C. to meet with members of Congress. The AAU Board, which previously met quarterly, is now meeting weekly. A new ad hoc committee has been established to help build a renewed University–Federal Government partnership. AAU is also working closely with various constituency groups to raise concerns about the sustained attacks on research and higher education—making the case that what’s at stake is not just the future of universities, but the future of the nation.As a major new step, AAU has launched a 501(c)(4) organization to support a nationwide advertising campaign. The campaign is already live in key states, encouraging constituents to contact their members of Congress. The message is simple but powerful: Research matters. Whether it’s agriculture, health, national security, or economic growth—research drives American strength.And the people conducting this research—many of whom came to this country because they believe in its values—deserve our support. They are essential to our future.

International Student Arrivals Drop 19%

According to AP News, Inside Higher Ed, and multiple media reports, in August, international student arrivals in the U.S. fell by 19 percent compared to August 2024.  The drop aligns with forecasts of visa-related disruptions but contrasts with Department of Homeland Security figures suggesting a slight increase, which experts say are inaccurate due to incomplete reporting and data timing issues.Experts caution that entry data does not capture students who stayed in-country over summer or those who arrived later, yet the drop aligns with reports of institutions enrolling fewer international students this fall.One educator observed: “We’ve heard [all summer] of reduced capacity at key posts around the world even after the freeze was supposed to be lifted.”

The National Travel and Tourism Office data indicate that visa freezes and delays during peak months severely restricted student entry, especially from Africa (-32%), Asia (-24%), and the Middle East (-17%). The steepest national declines came from Iran (-86%), Syria (-63%), Haiti (-57%), Ghana (-51%), Nigeria (-48%), and India (-45%), the largest source of international students.

Experts warn the true decline may exceed 20%, with ripple effects on university finances, local economies, and U.S. global competitiveness. Analysts also fear deeper losses in 2026 as students increasingly turn to other countries. The Institute of International Education is expected to release more definitive fall enrollment data in November.

News and Activities for the Communities

1. APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2025/10/10 Defending Academics and Institutions in Foreign Interference and Research Security Matters2025/10/16 Bridging Nations: The Power of People-to-People Exchange in U.S.-China Relations2025/10/23 C100 Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative: Asian American Women in the Law2025/11/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/11/20 Cook County Circuit Court Hearing2025/11/25 Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Elaine ChaoVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details.

2. C100 Conversations: Elaine Chao 赵小兰

WHAT: Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: Elaine Chao 赵小兰WHEN: November 25, 2025, 6:00 pm ETWHERE: Online eventHOST: Committee of 100Moderator: Peter Young, Chair of the Conversations Initiative and Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board MemberSpeaker:  Elaine Chao, 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor and 18th U.S. Secretary of TransportationDESCRIPTION:  Secretary Elaine Chao is the first Asian-Pacific American woman to serve in the President’s cabinet in American history. She has been confirmed to two cabinet positions by the United States Senate on a strong bipartisan basis: U. S. Secretary of Labor and U. S. Secretary of Transportation.  She will reflect on her remarkable journey as an immigrant, trailblazer, and leader at the highest levels of government, and her insights on leadership, resilience, and service to the nation.REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/48ozpXq

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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.