Newsletter - #47 End "China Initiative" And Racial Profiling; Charles Lieber; Gang Chen; Lots More #47 End "China Initiative" And Racial Profiling; Charles Lieber; Gang Chen; Lots More Back View PDF March 8, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #213 TX/FL Land Bills Alerts; Affirmative Action; 3/6 Meeting Summary; AAUC Community Hub #213 TX/FL Land Bills Alerts; Affirmative Action; 3/6 Meeting Summary; AAUC Community Hub In This Issue #213 · Alert: Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst Introduced Senate Bill 51 · Florida's Chinese Community Calls for Reform, Repeal of Law that Limits Property Ownership · Race-Based Admissions and the Supreme Court: An Asian American Perspective · 2023/03/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted · AAUC Launches Asian American Pacific Islander Community Hub · News and Activities for the Communities Alert: On October 9, 2023, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst introduced Senate Bill (SB) 51 relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities. She was previously the primary sponsor of the discriminatory Texas alien land bill SB 147. Read the SB51: https://bit.ly/3ROl7qJ . Read the LegiScan tracking report: https://bit.ly/45r9B7V . Florida's Chinese Community Calls for Reform, Repeal of Law that Limits Property Ownership According to NPR/WMFE , Florida’s Chinese community held a town hall meeting on September 26, 2023, to call for the repeal or reform of Senate Bill (SB) 264, a law that limits real estate purchase or ownership for some foreign nationals.Over 100 people attended the virtual meeting organized by the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAJAA), which included local and national attorneys, activists, legislators, real estate buyers, sellers, and Florida residents on work and student visas. Most were of Chinese descent, and many said they are already living under the consequences of SB 264.“This bill has made a serious impact on the Asian community in general. It honestly feels like we are all being treated differently,” said Yuyuan Zhang , an Orlando real estate agent born and raised in China. Zhang said she holds a green card and lives in Orlando with her husband, a U.S. veteran, and their three young children. They have lived in Central Florida since 2016. Zhang is an only child. She said her parents like to travel from China to visit her and their only grandchildren as much as they can. Due to the pandemic, however, it’s been three years. The family was excited in the summer of 2022 when Zhang’s parents decided to buy and build a new home in Orlando so they could stay comfortably nearby during long visits. Construction on the house was about halfway through, Zhang said, when SB 264 went into effect, and they were forced to abandon the project. Zhang’s parents are Chinese nationals, not U.S. citizens or residents, and live in China. They are banned from owning a home for themselves in Florida.For Ethan Hu , a 28-year-old data analyst in Orlando, the law presents another complication. He lives a long drive away from his work office, which was no problem while the company had employees working remotely. However, that policy changed, and Hu was considering buying a condo in downtown Orlando to be closer to work — then SB 264 became a factor. Even with his H-1B work visa, Hu said buying property feels uncertain and difficult because of all the risks involved. “If the first version of the bill comes true, I’d no longer be able to stay here. I’d be forced to find another job,” Hu said. “I think I’m allowed to own one property for myself, so yeah, there is a chance for me to stay here, but things are getting worse because they are changing every day. Before that, America was the dream land to chase your dreams and fight for your freedom.” Clay Zhu is one of the leading attorneys who filed a federal lawsuit against SB 264. He said the verbiage in the law is much too broad and vague for compliance, and that an “honest mistake” could easily land an individual on some felony charges. “Let’s assume the validity of SB 264, how does an average person comply with it? There are many practical difficulties for people to figure out what is prohibited and what is not,” Zhu said.Orlando-based Attorney Melissa Vickers argued Section 7 of the law is blatantly discriminatory and violates the 14th Amendment as well as HUD’s Fair Housing Act, which prohibits the discrimination of someone trying to buy housing in the U.S. based on their race, nationality, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, or disability. “This law alone opens you up for the possibility of having to do jail or prison time, which is extremely scary, for just purchasing a home — not doing anything illegal, not trying to do anything illegal — just for purchasing a home in Florida,” Vickers said.Rep. Fentrice Driskell , Florida House Minority Leader, and Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani discussed the chances of getting the law either reformed or repealed during the next legislative session. “Now that the consequences are felt, it provides more ammunition, if you will, to try to change the current statute,” Eskamani said. "What's become clear with this policy is that it was pushed forward based on fear, it is not actually based on any fact. It is not going to keep us safe. It does not stop any type of espionage."Read the NPR/WMFE report: https://bit.ly/46id4Xm Dangerous laws are being introduced at the state and federal level right now that use "national security" as an excuse to discriminate against immigrants from China. In Florida, for example, Governor DeSantis has banned many Chinese immigrants from buying a house in much of the state – a move that is both unconstitutional and unfortunately, not new.Take one simple step to tell Congress NO to discriminatory land laws: https://bit.ly/3qRsFOh Race-Based Admissions and the Supreme Court: An Asian American Perspective WHEN: Thursday, October 12, 2023 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET WHAT: Webinar on Race-Based Admissions and the Supreme Court: An Asian American Perspective HOST: Committee of 100 MODERATOR: Amy Qin. National Correspondent, The New York Times SPEAKERS: · Gordon H. Chang, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Under Graduate Education and the Olive H. Palmer Professor, Stanford University · Sally Chen, Education Equity Policy Manager, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) · John C. Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) | AAJC DESCRIPTION: In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in two high-profile cases on race-conscious college and university admissions policies. This is the third time in the last two decades that the nation’s highest court has heard cases that challenge long-standing attempts to increase diversity on college campuses. The Court’s finding that these policies are unconstitutional will have significant implications on the Asian American community, including how Asian American students should prepare for the college application process. This panel will discuss various aspects of the historical context surrounding affirmative action, why affirmative action is relevant to the Asian American community, and what the specific case law means for Asian Americans today. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3LUzOot 2023/03/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted After delays due to a backlog, the summary for the March 2023 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted at https://bit.ly/46ogYy1 We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: · Nisha Ramachandran, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), on the targeting of CAPAC Chairwoman Judy Chu by GOP members of Congress who questioned her loyalty to the U.S. due to her being of Chinese American origin; the nomination of Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su as the next Labor Secretary; and concerns about alien land laws restricting the property ownership rights of individuals from specific countries being introduced in states across the country · John Yang 杨重远, President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, on the negative impact of rhetoric and conspiracies arising from the uncertainties of the U.S.-China relationship; Julie Su nomination; and education equity · Gisela Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), on preparing for the AANHPI Heritage month; work with federal grant agencies and universities on policies, procedures and disclosures; monitoring incidents of border interception/questioning of AAPI scholars and scientists and their family members; concerns about increase of rhetoric targeting Chinese students in higher education institutions; and the addition of Professor Xiaoxing Xi as a new member of AASF · Peter Toren, Attorney at Law; Member of Sherry Chen Legal Team as he reflects on Sherry Chen's historic settlement. On May 9, 2015, when the New York Times broke the story about Sherry Chen, Peter was quoted: “They came across a person of Chinese descent and a little bit of evidence that they may have been trying to benefit the Chinese government, but it’s clear there was a little bit of Red Scare and racism involved.” Peter was the first attorney retained by Sherry in her lawsuit against the U.S. government and was an integral part of the Sherry Chen Legal Team that eventually won a settlement with the largest settlement amount paid to an individual by the U.S. Department of Commerce. APA Justice recognizes Peter's outstanding commitment and achievement. · Dr. Helen Shih, a leader of RiseAAPI-Texas, reported on 5 rallies in Texas that were organized by the AAPI community to protest SB 147 in 5 weeks. Grace Meng 孟昭文, Member of U.S. Congress, shared Democratic leadership’s condemnation of attacks on Congresswoman Judy Chu. She emphasized the importance of allyship between CAPAC and groups such as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), as well as the communities they represent. Rep. Meng encouraged the AAPI community to continue to push for the inclusion of AAPI, African American, Jewish, and Latino history to feed a more holistic understanding of our shared American story. Rep. Meng also shared progress on the National AAPI Museum Study Bill signed into law by President Biden in June 2022 and her current work to finalize the Commission to explore the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, funding, and operating such a facility in Washington, D.C. as a potential part of the Smithsonian Institution. Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺, New York Police Department Officer and John Carman, Attorney for Officer Angwang provided an overview of the injustice faced by Officer Angwang when he was wrongfully accused to be a spy for China under the now-defunct "China Initiative." Officer Angwang shared his personal experience of spending six months in jail while not allowed to meet with his lawyer or family members. Officer Angwang had served as a Marine in Afghanistan and the Army Reserve. He became NYPD Officer after returning from Afghanistan. All charges against him were dismissed in January 2023, but he had not been reinstated by NYPD. Innocent citizens with Chinese nexus became scapegoats as a result of the government’s racial targeting with the backdrop of increasing U.S.-China tensions. Officer Anwang called on elected officials, community leaders, and civil rights advocates to take actions to stop the government from using profiling and discriminatory tactics William Colton, New York State Assembly member (District 47) remarked on Officer Anwang’s case and called for needed actions. Read the March monthly meeting summary: https://bit.ly/46ogYy1 . Read past monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP . The August 2023 monthly meeting summary is scheduled for release in a special edition on Friday, October 13, 2023. Work on the October meeting summary is in progress. The May monthly meeting summary is still backlogged at this time. AAUC Launches Asian American Pacific Islander Community Hub Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) has launched a website known as Asian American Pacific Islander Community Hub at https://bit.ly/3FbmpEu . According to Dr. S.K. Lo, Founding and current President of AAUC, "the purpose of the AAPI Community Hub is to connect, collaborate and empower the AAPI community. This project collects relevant information that are important and relevant to the community and have it available to the community at large."A signature product of the Community Hub is a current list of 14,631 AAPI organizations located in the U.S., supported by an interactive map powered by Esri, summary statistics, and pie and bar charts. By drilling into the Washington DC area as an example, the map shows approximately 800 organizations. At the most granular level and by clicking on an individual dot on the map, a window appears with information about the name and address of the organization, as well as its purpose, type of organization, asset, revenue, and website if one is available. Visit the interactive map at https://bit.ly/3rDcGnw . The Community Hub covers additional shared information and services. News and Activities for the Communities 1. Community Calendar The APA Justice Community Calendar is located on the front page of the APA Justice website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . Upcoming Events: 2023/10/12 Expert Panel on Open Data for Racial Equity 2023/10/12 C100 Webinar - Race-Based Admissions and the Supreme Court Court: An Asian American Perspective 2023/10/12 The FBI and Chinese Americans - From the Investigation and Defense Frontline 2023/10/15 State Legislature 101 Training 2023/10/15 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall Meeting 2023/10/22 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall Meeting 2023/10/25-26 President's Advisory Commission Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Law360 Report on Professor Franklin Tao's Appeal According to Law360 , the Tenth Circuit appeared skeptical of the government's argument that former University of Kansas (KU) Professor Franklin Tao's "failure to informer his employer he was pursuing a job in China was relevant to federal grant funding decisions, with one judge citing a 'failure of evidence.'"A three-judge panel heard Professor Tao's appeal to vacate his conviction for making a false statement on a conflict-of-interest form to KU. The paperwork was never submitted on any grant research applications to the Department of Energy or the National Science Foundation. Read the Law360 report: https://bit.ly/3FaHIWU . The audio portion of the hearing is available here: https://bit.ly/46dOxmc (2:24:52) starting at around 1:45:08. Read Professor Tao's case at https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK and visit his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/5bf4adbe Back View PDF October 9, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #32 12/02 Webinar; Franklin Tao; 12/07 Meeting; 2020 Census #32 12/02 Webinar; Franklin Tao; 12/07 Meeting; 2020 Census Back View PDF December 1, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #342 Citizenship Order Blocked; Monthly Meeting Recap; Perkins Coie on Government Scrutiny+ #342 Citizenship Order Blocked; Monthly Meeting Recap; Perkins Coie on Government Scrutiny+ In This Issue #342 · Legal Challenges Continue to Block Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship · Summary of 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting (in progress) · Facing Government Scrutiny? Read This from Perkins Coie · News and Activities for the Communities Legal Challenges Continue to Block Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship According to AP , CNN , Just Security , and multiple media reports, President Trump’s January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14160, which seeks to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil with non‑citizen parents, remains blocked by federal court rulings despite a recent Supreme Court decision that limited the reach of nationwide injunctions.On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court held that individual district judges may no longer issue universal nationwide injunctions. However, it clarified that class-action injunctions remain valid, preserving a legal pathway for nationwide relief under certain circumstances.One such ruling came from U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante in New Hampshire, who certified a class of affected children and issued a nationwide injunction that remains in effect pending appeal. Although the Supreme Court’s decision would have allowed the order to take effect on July 27 in states not covered by separate injunctions, Judge LaPlante’s ruling ensures continued nationwide protection.“The judge’s order protects every single child whose citizenship was called into question by this illegal executive order,” Cody Wofsy , the ACLU attorney representing children who would be affected by Trump’s restrictions, said. “The government has not appealed and has not sought emergency relief so this injunction is now in effect everywhere in the country.”Elsewhere, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Massachusetts is weighing whether to maintain a previously issued nationwide injunction or to narrow or stay it in light of the Supreme Court’s decision. During a recent hearing, Judge Sorokin appeared skeptical of the government’s arguments. Using an analogy about a noisy neighbor and a hastily proposed wall to block sound, he questioned how the government intended to comply with the law: “What you are telling me is we will do it but, in response to my question, you have no answer how you will do it,” he said. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland stated in an opinion on July 18 that she would grant class action status on behalf of all children affected by the executive order and grant a preliminary injunction blocking it. But she did not immediately rule, noting a previous decision of hers to block the order was on appeal to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court and that court would have to return the case to her. Judge Boardman said an immediate ruling from her would “promote judicial efficiency and economy because it would enable the Fourth Circuit to consider the merits of a class-wide preliminary injunction sooner rather than later.” At the core of these lawsuits is the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 in response to the Dred Scott decision, which denied citizenship to African Americans. In United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), the Supreme Court affirmed that children born in the U.S. to non-citizen immigrant parents are citizens by birth, unless their parents are foreign diplomats or enemy occupiers. This precedent remains a foundational element of birthright citizenship law—and the focal point of the current legal battles. Summary of 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting (in progress) The APA Justice monthly meeting on July 7, 2025, featured timely and urgent presentations from several distinguished speakers addressing the challenges facing higher education, civil rights, and immigrant communities amid escalating political pressures. Below is a summary of the remarks from four of the speakers: 1. Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) President Lynn Pasquerella expressed deep concern about the future of American higher education and democracy. She pointed out that this is a moment of enormous significance that brings a renewed sense of urgency to our nation’s historic mission of educating for democracy. It is also a time of growing moral distress, in which campus leaders feel coerced into making decisions they believe are unethical decisions and they feel they have no choice but to make. They are continually forced to confront the question: How much individual injustice should be tolerated for the sake of long-term reform? As a result, for many, that moral distress has morphed into a kind of moral injury—arising from the continuous erosion of their moral compass and the ongoing challenges to their deeply held values characterized by deepening ideological divides. Development of Existential Threat to Higher Education 2023 brought attacks on DEI, a Supreme Court decision banning race-based admissions, and legislation introduced in 42 states to implement educational gag orders—limiting speech around race, gender, and other so-called “divisive concepts.” At the end of that year, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn were called before the Congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer for and atone for alleged antisemitism on their campuses—accusations attributed to their institutions’ emphasis on DEI. At the December 5 hearings on Capitol Hill, Representative Virginia Foxx’s opening statement was not only against those university presidents, but against higher education as a whole. Those hearings foreshadowed the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, marked by unprecedented government overreach and political intrusion into nearly every aspect of college and university operations. This included the withdrawal of billions of dollars in federal research funding, caps on indirect costs for grants awarded by NIH and the Department of Energy, and the elimination of spending on research topics like race, transgender health, women’s issues, climate change, misinformation, and COVID-19. Within his first two and a half weeks in office, four executive orders were signed directly targeting transgender individuals. And within another two weeks, a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education directed colleges and universities to eliminate all DEI initiatives in hiring, curriculum, and co-curricular activities. A separate executive order mandated that higher education accrediting bodies remove all DEI-related standards, claiming that "radical left" accreditors had allowed campuses to be overrun by “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” Targeting of Chinese and International Students We saw hundreds of international students detained and thousands more have their visas terminated. Limits were removed on ICE agents’ activities on college campuses. In states like Florida, campus security officers were given authority to perform immigration enforcement functions. Despite First Amendment protections, the President threatened the arrest and deportation of international students and faculty who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Funding for study abroad and international scholarships was suspended. Harvard was warned that its ability to admit international students would be revoked unless it provided detailed records on all such students. Although Harvard complied, a month later Secretary Kristi Noem declared that international students would no longer be eligible for admission to Harvard, and existing international students were told they must transfer immediately or face visa termination. Travel bans were implemented for citizens of 12 countries, and heightened visa restrictions were placed on those from seven others. On June 9, the government announced that all student visa applicants—regardless of country of origin—must unlock their social media accounts for review. One consequence of this has been that colleges and universities with high international student populations now face credit risk. Moody’s has warned of downgrades to credit ratings—particularly for the 11% of American institutions where international students make up more than 20% of the student body. The reemerging climate of fear and intimidation for Chinese students—echoes of the 77 cases brought by the Department of Justice under the "China Initiative." Although most cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence, the chilling effect on Chinese and Asian American researchers remains. During the program’s enforcement, departures of Asian researchers from the U.S. increased by 75%. Although the initiative ended in 2022, recent attempts to revive it have reaffirmed a deep sense of uncertainty among Asian and Asian American students. Efforts led by Marco Rubio and others, which many see as the weaponization of a population that has contributed significantly to the nation's economic development and academic excellence by bringing in global talent and diverse perspectives. During the last academic year, 200,398 Chinese students were studying in the U.S.—122,778 of them graduate students in STEM fields. These are the very students now being targeted. What has unfolded constitutes an existential threat to American colleges and universities—institutions founded on the principles of the free exchange of ideas, the unfettered pursuit of truth, and independence from unwarranted governmental and political interference. Call to Action In April 2025, AAC&U, alongside the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, released a statement entitled A Call for Constructive Engagement , outlining what is at stake for America’s prosperity should the critical partnership between government and higher education continue to unravel. For the first time, sitting presidents of colleges and universities came together in large numbers to respond to attacks from the Trump administration. The statement made clear that while presidents and leaders of scholarly societies are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight, they will stand together against efforts to restrict or undermine the freedoms fundamental to American higher education. The process leading to the statement revealed the pressures campus leaders are experiencing. AAC&U held two virtual meetings where 193 campus leaders came together. Many spoke of needing board approval to speak out, others described pressure from state governors, and many feared media backlash. Yet nearly all cited growing demands from faculty and students to defend their institutions’ core principles and push back against efforts to control curriculum or restrict freedom of expression. We know from the recent removal of the President of the University of Virginia that concern over government overreach is real. That incident reaffirmed a conviction that emerged: If everyone exercises a little moral courage, no one person has to be the hero. This is a moment for all of us to come together across sectors and lead with moral courage. When one university is threatened, it is the responsibility of all institutions to respond. As philosopher John Dewey reminds us—democracy is not just a system of government, but a way of life. It depends on an educated and engaged citizenry, capable of making independent judgments, challenging authority, and participating meaningfully in public discourse. 2. 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 After having spent 20 years teaching at UCLA, Tony spent the following 15 years abroad—including six years as the President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Tony talked about his article, The Role of Research Universities in a Changing World Order , which was recently published in Not Alone by Elsevier. Recent Developments Since the article was written in early 2025 Much has changed since March—Harvard’s authority to admit international students and its tax-exempt status are under threat, visa policies have shifted, and there have been dramatic funding cuts to the NIH and NSF. The NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, where Tony once served, faces a proposed 75% cut. This level of disruption affects all research universities and makes long-term planning nearly impossible. We have also seen a wave of university president resignations. The landscape is shifting rapidly, and academia is scrambling to respond. It is no longer just about campus governance—it is about our role in society and in global competitiveness. Tony framed his article around East-West academic competition—particularly between the U.S. and China, though India now plays a growing role. Talent Flow and Research Collaboration Recently, Tony co-founded a virtual platform called " Dialogue on Asian Universities ” (DAU). On June 23, DAU had its 11th dialogue, titled Tectonic Shift in the Global Talent Chain: The Forces of Technology and Geopolitics , where Tony moderated a conversation between the presidents of two Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)—Delhi and Mumbai—and a leading AI researcher from Tsinghua University, formerly a senior VP at Microsoft in Redmond. Ten years ago, 90% of IIT graduates came to the U.S. Today, that trend has reversed: 90% stay in India, where opportunities are booming. The same is true in China, which is actively attracting returnees at the peak of their careers. Chinese students once saw the U.S. as the obvious destination. Now, many are reconsidering—questioning whether it’s worth investing years here under such uncertainty. There is a push from the U.S.—visa hurdles, political hostility—and a growing pull from home countries. Tony gave two striking examples: 1. DeepSeek, a competitive AI model to ChatGPT, was built in China by graduates who never studied abroad. That is a wake-up call. 2. Meta has been hiring talent away from OpenAI—many of these AI researchers are young, Chinese-born, and U.S.-trained. So while the government tries to limit student visas, industry thrives on the very people being pushed out. There is a major contradiction. When it comes to research collaboration, the trend has also reversed. Fifteen years ago, U.S. faculty were eager to collaborate globally—especially with China. Now, fears over dual-use technologies and national security have shut many doors. This is understandable to a degree, but we have managed dual-use issues before—through clearances and containment. What we have now is a blanket policy that hinders not just collaboration with China, but progress on global challenges like climate, energy, and health. Joint ventures are collapsing. Multiple American-Chinese university partnerships—at Berkeley, Michigan, and Georgia Tech—have closed under political pressure. Others are likely considering exit strategies. Recommendations Universities represent something deeper: values, leadership, and change in society. What is happening now has broader implications—for all of society. Here is the irony: the Chinese system is often criticized for authoritarianism, lack of free speech, and human rights issues. Yet, in recent years, Tony has seen a disturbing erosion of these very things in the U.S. He offered four recommendations: 1. Academia must remember its core mission —to serve society and humanity for the long term. Bending to short-term political pressure may be expedient but risks undermining academic integrity, reputation, and the ability to attract talent. 2. Universities must adapt to shifting geopolitical and economic realities . Ignoring national security concerns is not an option. But universities should propose pragmatic frameworks that enable collaboration within necessary constraints. 3. Reaffirm academic freedom . Without that, there is no point in having American-style universities. 4. Leadership requires courage . It is easier to do nothing. But if you are in a leadership position, that is not an option. If you cannot lead, you should step aside. The bigger question is: how did we let it get this far without the public engaging? When we speak, people assume it is self-interest. We need third-party voices to make the case for why academia matters—beyond campus walls. 3. Clay Zhu 朱可亮, Founder and President, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) Clay provided updates on two major lawsuits challenging government actions targeting Chinese students and property buyers. In early April, CALDA learned about the mass termination of student status for thousands of international students, most of whom are from China. In response, CALDA filed a case, Chen v. Noem (4:25-cv-03292) , in the Northern District of California. On May 22, the judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction . As a result, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) statuses of most affected students have been restored. However, CALDA also discovered that, simultaneously, DHS and ICE had terminated the students' SEVIS statuses, and the State Department had revoked their student visas. CALDA does not yet have an exact count of how many students are affected but plans to amend the complaint to add the State Department as an additional defendant, in an effort to restore the revoked visas. Due to the recent Supreme Court decision in CASA Inc. v. Trump (8:25-cv-00201) , CALDA may also need to further amend the complaint to pursue the case as a class action. Meanwhile, in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 (SB17) into law on June 20, 2025. The bill restricts certain foreign purchases of real property in Texas. CALDA filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and a motion for class certification the day before Independence Day. This is one of the first cases filed under the recent Supreme Court ruling in CASA v. Trump, which prompted CALDA to file these lawsuits on a class-action basis. CALDA is currently awaiting a judge assignment and hearing date. Since the law takes effect on September 1, there is less than two months to obtain a court decision—followed potentially by an appeal. Clay, expressing both gratitude for American opportunities and frustration at current policies, emphasized that CALDA’s legal efforts aim to protect constitutional rights and ensure due process for affected Chinese individuals. 4. Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC, jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org Without going into the details of Texas Senate Bill SB17, Joanna highlighted several other top-line actions from AAJC. On July 2, AAJC transmitted a bipartisan letter from AAPI leaders to members of Congress, urging broader protection for the safety of the AAPI community. It was signed by senior former government and elected officials, as well as community and public service leaders. (Please contact Joanna if you would like a copy of the letter.)AAJC, along with the Asian American Scholars Forum (AASF), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and Stop AAPI Hate, also led a coalition letter representing 64 organizations addressed to Secretary Marco Rubio . His newly proposed visa policy—issued without meaningful clarity—harms the safety and well-being of students, undermines American values, and jeopardizes the nation’s academic, technological, and economic leadership. The letter called for a halt to the implementation of the May 28 policy announcement to “aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese international students,” including those in “critical fields.”There have also been several Supreme Court decisions in recent weeks. AAJC, along with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and OCA, condemned the recent Supreme Court ruling in CASA v. Trump, which significantly limits the ability of lower courts to issue "universal injunctions." Executive Order 14160, which seeks to end birthright citizenship for individuals born in the United States whose parents had certain immigration statuses, may now go into effect on a case-by-case basis. AAJC remains confident that related litigation will result in the Executive Order being ruled unconstitutional. AAJC has also issued press statements on other Supreme Court decisions, which can be found on the AAJC website. Facing Government Scrutiny? Read This from Perkins Coie On June 26, 2025, Perkins Coie LLP, a large international law firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington, hosted Compliance Collective webinars aimed at helping nonprofit and university leaders stay ahead of the curve when it comes to government investigations and inquiries. With oversight from executive agencies and legislative bodies on the rise, organizations in the nonprofit and higher education sectors are increasingly likely to encounter subpoenas, information requests, and other official actions. These sessions offered practical advice and up-to-date strategies to ensure leaders are well-prepared to respond effectively and protect their institutions.The webinars focused on two principal avenues of risk: (1) revocation of tax-exempt status by the IRS, and (2) law enforcement and regulatory inquiries, including subpoenas, congressional investigations, and government raids. These risks are increasingly intertwined, with legislative and executive actions targeting activities perceived as contrary to public policy or law. Perkins Coie has shared two documents summarizing the insights from the webinars: · Essential Strategies for Navigating Government Inquiries o Legal Frameworks and Areas of Exposure o Practical Guidance for Risk Assessment and Response o Developing Robust Policies and Procedures · Search Warrants: Dos and Don’ts Perkins Coie concludes that in an increasingly uncertain regulatory environment, nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions must proactively identify and assess their unique risks, establish clear protocols for government interactions, and ensure ongoing board and management engagement. Tailored compliance strategies, informed by legal counsel and aligned with organizational mission and risk tolerance, are essential to navigating the evolving landscape of government scrutiny. Perkins Coie welcomes interested parties to contact any of the following presenters or Perkins Coie representative for more in-depth guidance or legal support. · Jamie Schafer, Partner, JSchafer@perkinscoie.com · Jean-Jacques Cabou, Firmwide Co-Chair, White Collar & Investigations Practice, Partner, JCabou@perkinscoie.com · Angela Jones, Deputy General Counsel, Partner, AJones@perkinscoie.com · Richard Sevcik, Firmwide Chair, Tax-Exempt Organizations Practice, Partner, RSevcik@perkinscoie.com News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/07/25-27 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony 2025/07/29 C100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Linda Chao Yang2025/07/29 From Heartland to Mainland: 2025 Future Ag Leaders Delegation2025/07/31-08/10 Asian American International Film Festival2025/08/02-07 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. 1990 Institute Youth Symposium WHAT: 1990 Institute Youth Symposium — Roots and Wings: Celebrating Asian American Youth with the Power of Community WHEN: September 6, 2025, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm PT WHERE: College of San Mateo, 1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94401 HOST: 1990 Institute DESCRIPTION: This inaugural Youth Symposium is more than a one-day event. It is our first large-scale, cross-generational outreach initiative and marks a major milestone for the 1990 Institute as we navigate this fast-changing and challenging time, and position ourselves as a leader in addressing the most pressing and relevant issues impacting our community. It builds upon 1990’s legacy educational programming and supports our core mission. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4m79Q0D # # # 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 . Back View PDF July 21, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #141 Campaign Closing; OSTP Issues Guidance; APA Justice to Meet with AAU; Happy Labor Day! #141 Campaign Closing; OSTP Issues Guidance; APA Justice to Meet with AAU; Happy Labor Day! Back View PDF September 2, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #98 Letter to AG; NYT Report; "Chinese Initiative" Cases; 12/06 Monthly Meeting; More #98 Letter to AG; NYT Report; "Chinese Initiative" Cases; 12/06 Monthly Meeting; More Back View PDF November 29, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #77 Role Of UTK And Timeline; FOIA Request To NIH; "China Initiative;" Yellow Whistle #77 Role Of UTK And Timeline; FOIA Request To NIH; "China Initiative;" Yellow Whistle Back View PDF August 9, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #91 Rep. Lieu Questions AG; Letter to AG; 11/01 Meeting; New Red Scare; UTK; More #91 Rep. Lieu Questions AG; Letter to AG; 11/01 Meeting; New Red Scare; UTK; More Back View PDF October 25, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #187: 6/5 Meeting; Alien Land Bills; NYT Opinion; Paula Madison; OSTP Listening Sessions #187: 6/5 Meeting; Alien Land Bills; NYT Opinion; Paula Madison; OSTP Listening Sessions In This Issue #187 2023/06/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills Opinion: Like It or Not, America Needs Chinese Scientists The Inspiring Journey of an Asian American Media Trailblazer White House Listening Sessions with Early Career Researcher Communities and NSPM-33 023/06/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, June 5, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), speakers include: Elizabeth Goitein , Senior Director, Liberty & National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, on Warrantless Surveillance - Reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance 华美维权同盟, with updates on Civil Lawsuit Against Florida Alien Land Law, with comments by Ashley Gorski , Senior Staff Attorney, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Bethany Li , Legal Director, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans, with updates on Alien Land Bills and comments by Gene Wu 吳元之 , Member of the Texas House of Representatives. The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills 1. APA Justice Updates Its Tracking of State Alien Land Bills and Laws APA Justice updated its tracking map and table on May 30, 2023: https://bit.ly/3oo5zxF .According to KHOU-11 on May 29, 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called an immediate special session Monday just hours after the House and Senate adjourned from the 88th legislative session. It will be the first special session of several, Abbott said. Abbott said the first special session will focus on cutting property taxes and border control by increasing penalties for human smugglers and those operating stash houses. Dates and times have not been announced for the other special sessions. Each session will last 30 days. Read and watch the KHOU-11 report: https://bit.ly/43aUYVH The South Carolina General Assembly went into special session after the regular session ended on May 11, 2023. According to AP News on May 11, 2023, in theory, anything can be dealt with during the special session. But in 2023, only a few outstanding issues are likely to come up as it is the first year of the two-year sessions and bills stay alive wherever they are in the legislative process until the 2024 session begins. Read the AP News report: https://bit.ly/3OLOtEK 2. 500+ Asian Americans Celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month in Texas Legislature According to 世界新聞網 , the Asian Real Estate Association of America Houston Chapter (AREAA Houston) joined representatives from Dallas; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese ethnic leaders; and local Asians to celebrate the AANHPI Heritage Month in Austin, the state capital of Texas, on May 9, 2023. Over 500 people attended the event.Texas state legislative members participated in the festivities. Group leaders met with the governor. A large crowd watched and discussed the proceedings of the AANHPI Heritage Month in the Texas Senate while officials introduced the functions of the government and answered questions in the state government auditorium. A meeting was also held with the Texas Association of Realtors concerning Texas Senate Bill 147.Read the 世界新聞網 report: https://bit.ly/3N8m3Dp (Chinese) and watch the video: https://bit.ly/3N9RKMS (7:04). Opinion: Like It or Not, America Needs Chinese Scientists According to a New York Times opinion on May 25, 2023, the Chinese Communist Party has accomplished something rare in U.S. politics these days: uniting Democrats and Republicans around a common enemy. Unfortunately, frenzied concern about Chinese influence threatens America’s ability to attract the top talent it needs to maintain global leadership in science and higher education. The damage caused by the Department of Justice’s now-disbanded "China Initiative" still reverberates. Designed to counter economic espionage and national security threats from China, it resulted — in some cases — in researchers and academics of Chinese descent being placed under house arrest or taken away in handcuffs on charges of hiding ties to China, cases that ended in acquittal or were later dropped.The program resulted in few prosecutions before being shut down last year. But it upended lives and careers, and created an atmosphere of fear. Some ethnic Chinese scientists disproportionately feel that their ethnicity and connections to China inhibit their professional progress and their chances of obtaining — and willingness to apply for — research funding in the United States. A survey of scientists of Chinese descent at American universities released last year found that significant percentages of respondents felt unwelcome in the United States, with 86 percent saying the current climate makes it more difficult for the United States to attract top international students than it was five years ago.This should be setting off alarm bells in Washington. Economic and military advantage is contingent on superior science, technology and innovation — and the competition for talent is global. Concerns over academic collaboration with China are legitimate. China’s government has contributed to the deterioration of academic cooperation. But let’s not race China to the bottom. If America fails to attract top international research talent, that harms U.S. prospects for scientific advancement and, ultimately, American economic and national strength.There is no doubt that present circumstances call for more transparency among scholars. Universities need to lead this change, whereby scholars pay greater attention to the implications of collaborating with foreign scientists. But we can’t let this get in the way of ensuring that the United States remains the best place in the world to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics and entices graduates from abroad to remain here after completing their degrees.Yet the number of U.S. visas granted to Chinese students has plummeted. To reverse this, visa processes should be streamlined, backlogs cleared and talented individuals given expanded opportunities to obtain green cards. America is training and educating some of the world’s brightest people; we need to get more of them and keep them here.Likewise, more Americans need to be learning about China. The number of American students studying in China was already declining from a peak of about 15,000 in 2011-12; during the pandemic that plummeted to less than 400. China is, and will continue to be, a critical global player; understanding its internal dynamics will be important for people operating in a range of fields. Yet we are at risk of having an entire generation of Americans who know little about China.We should immediately restart the Fulbright program in China, which sent thousands of Chinese and Americans between the two countries for research and learning until it was halted during the Trump administration, and increase federal funding for Chinese studies programs at our universities. Keeping American higher education open to the world is not about helping China to become strong, nor should we delude ourselves about Beijing’s intentions. It’s about exuding confidence in the strength and virtues of our system to ensure that America remains the best country in the world for learning and research. Dan Murphy , author of the opinion, is executive director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and former executive director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard.Read the New York Times opinion: https://nyti.ms/3BZpWUS The Inspiring Journey of an Asian American Media Trailblazer On May 25, 2023, the U.S. General Consulate in Guangzhou hosted an in-person conversation with media trailblazer Paula Williams Madison in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Ms. Madison discussed her career as a woman in media and journalism, her identity as both an African American and Asian American, and her documentary Finding Samuel Lowe 《寻找罗定朝》, which tells the story of her search to locate her Chinese grandfather's descendants in China. Read the announcement by the US Embassy in China: https://bit.ly/3NhcJ0l (Chinese)According to reports by Shenzhen Daily and 南方都市报 , the Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association and Asia Pacific and American Network sponsored the AANHPI Heritage Month 2023 Gala at the LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, China, on May 27, 2023. Madison was honored for her commitment to diversity, representation, and social justice. Lisa K. Heller , U.S. Consul General in Guangzhou, praised Madison for breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes, stating that “it is through the exchange of ideas and stories like Paula’s that we can build bridges of understanding between people and nations.”"My name is Luo Xiaona 罗笑娜 , I am a Hakka, Jamaican, and Chinese American. I am African American. I am a descendant of the Luo family, and I am very happy that I have finally found my home and my roots," Paula said at the gala."When we were young, dinner at a friend's house was pig's trotters and collard greens. Every dinner we had was rice and cabbage that other children had never seen. Others had paintings in their homes, and our mother hung a Chinese serigraph in a bamboo frame in the small living room. She also likes to play with furniture and some objects to make a Fengshui layout," Madison said. Madison describes her reconnection with her Hakka roots in Longgang 龙岗, Shenzhen as “a life-changing experience.” “Suddenly, I went from someone with almost no relatives to a person with families all around the world,” said the 71-year-old Madison. She was referring to her sprawling Chinese family with relatives living on different continents. It has been 11 years since the emotional family reunion took place in 2012 at their ancestral village.Throughout her career as a journalist, media executive and business owner, Madison has been an active opponent of anti-Black and anti-Asian discrimination. Growing up in a majority Black community with a half-Chinese mother, Madison was acutely aware of racism towards Blacks and Chinese from an early age. Madison’s remedy for a world that is becoming even more divided today is communication and exchanges. “Salvation will come on the level of just people,” she says.Read the Shenzhen Daily report: https://bit.ly/43Eo3bR (English). Read the 南方都市报 report: https://bit.ly/43jd9IP (Chinese) and Weixin report: https://bit.ly/43kQ6xn (Chinese). White House Listening Sessions with Early Career Researcher Communities and NSPM-33 The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced that it will hold listening sessions in June. The sessions intend to elevate the needs, priorities, and experiences of those who will shape and inherit the future: the early career researcher community. A series of virtual listening sessions will explore perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for advancing open science in the United States and solutions that might be implemented by the U.S. Government. The sessions will be open to the public and may be recorded for OSTP’s use. Registration is required to attend. The upcoming listening sessions will be as follows: 2023/06/05 1-3 pm ET: Open Science Possibilities for Equitable Participation and Access: Perspectives from Early Career Researchers at Emerging Research Institutions. Registration: https://bit.ly/45KMLtk 2023/06/06 3-5 pm ET: Open Science Possibilities for Career Advancement: Perspectives from Early Career Researchers on Opportunities and Challenges in Career Progression and Trajectory. Registration: https://bit.ly/43lGO4g 2023/06/12 1-3 pm ET: Open Science Possibilities for Training and Capacity Building: Perspectives from the Early Career Researcher-Supporting Community. Registration: https://bit.ly/45F33DU If you would like to provide information in addition to or in lieu of participation in the listening session, you may send a brief message to the public email address OpenScience@OSTP.eop.gov . In addition, OSTP and Federal agency partners will hold listening sessions on the draft National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) Research Security Programs Standard Requirement to offer the higher education and broader research community the opportunity to provide verbal feedback to the Federal Register notice. These sessions will be open to the public and may be recorded for OSTP’s use. Registration is required to attend. The upcoming listening sessions will be as follows: 2023/06/05 1:00-2:30 pm ET: Research Security Programs Standard Requirement Listening Session One: Working with the Higher Education Community toward NSPM-33 Implementation. Registration: https://bit.ly/3MHArRP 2023/06/12 1:00-2:30 pm ET: Research Security Programs Standard Requirement Listening Session Two: Working with the Higher Education Community toward NSPM-33 Implementation. Registration: https://bit.ly/3MKkR7N Read the White House announcement: https://bit.ly/3OR4BEU Thousands of early-career NIH researchers forming union for first time. According to a report by Nature on June 1, 2023, thousands of early-career researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have kickstarted the process to form a union. They are calling on the NIH — the world’s largest biomedical funder — to raise pay and improve benefits, as well as to bolster its policies and procedures against harassment and excessive workloads. Read the Nature report: https://go.nature.com/3qrzPs8 Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF June 2, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #356 Ohio Rally; Mike German; Birthright Citizenship; 7/7 Meeting Summary; Student Arrivals #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 ***** 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 Cuts The 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 ET WHERE : Online event HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator: Peter Young , Chair of the Conversations Initiative and Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board Member Speaker : Elaine Chao , 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor and 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation DESCRIPTION : 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 # # # 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 . Back View PDF October 10, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #223 12/4 Meeting; China Initiative/Section 702; Call for WH Apology; Student Exchanges; + #223 12/4 Meeting; China Initiative/Section 702; Call for WH Apology; Student Exchanges; + In This Issue #223 · 2023/12/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · No More "China Initiative" or Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance · Call for a White House Statement of Apology on the Chinese Exclusion Act · NYT: Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics? · News and Activities for the Communities 2023/12/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, December 4, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Matt Jones , Partner, WilmerHale LLP. Matt represents Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 , a naturalized U.S, citizen and founder of the University of Management and Technology in Arlington, Virginia. Matt spoke about Dr. Chen's case at the November 2022 APA Justice monthly meeting . He will give us an update on the latest development. · Michael Bloch , Partner, Bloch and White LLP. Michael represents Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , an ethnic Tibetan from China who served in Afghanistan as a U.S. marine and later joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) as an officer. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Angwang was arrested in September 2020, charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government under the now-defunct "China Initiative." Michael will give us an update on Angwang's case. A Q&A and discussion session will follow the reports by Matt Jones and Michael Bloch. Confirmed discussants include: · Bethany Li , Legal Director, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) · Paula Madison 罗笑娜, Retired, NBCUniversal Executive; Entrepreneur; Journalist · Brian Sun 孙自华, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP · Helen Zia 谢汉兰, Activist, Author, and Former Journalist Brian Sun was part of the legal team representing Dr. Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in the criminal trial in 2000. Brian later represented Dr. Lee and won a settlement in a civil lawsuit when Dr. Lee sued the government under the Privacy Act in 2006. Helen Zia co-authored with Dr. Lee and published a book titled " My Country Versus Me " in 2002.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 - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org No More "China Initiative" or Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance 1. No More "China Initiative" - Sign-on Letter There is a recent proposal in the US House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies (CJS) to reinstate the "China Initiative." The "China Initiative" was launched under the Trump Administration on November 1, 2018. It led to the racial profiling and unjust prosecution of U.S.-based Chinese American and immigrant scholars, scientists and researchers. It upended the careers and lives of many, as well as reports such as this Proceedings of National Academy of Science report showing that it created a chilling effect on Asian Americans deterring many from engaging in ordinary activities, like traveling or corresponding with loved ones, for fear of being wrongfully targeted. The "China Initiative" officially ended under the Biden Administration on February 23, 2022. On March 23, 2023, Science described how The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted its own “China initiative” that has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers. Plainly put, it is unacceptable for Congress to bring it back.A coalition letter has been prepared to urge Congress to oppose bringing the "China Initiative" back from the dead. Like-minded organizations are urged to sign on by December 7, 2023. APA Justice is a co-signer of the coalition letter.For more information and support, contact Gisela Perez Kusakawa at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org , Joanna Derman at jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org , or Kenny Nguyen at knguyen@stopaapihate.org . Read the open letter to Congress: https://bit.ly/3uCGBgx . Read about the "China Initiative:" https://bit.ly/2ZC12up 2. No More Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance On November 28, 2023, a national coalition of 92 civil rights and racial justice organizations sent a letter to all 535 members of Congress, opposing reauthorizing of FISA Section 702 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024. APA Justice is a co-signer of the letter. "Reporting indicates certain Congressional leaders are pushing not only to briefly extend this spying power to provide more time for Congress to debate how it should be reformed, but are further considering reauthorizing legislation, likely for a longer period, from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Not only was this legislation not included in either NDAA passed by the House or Senate, it has yet to even be introduced or its legislative text published," the letter said. In addition, · Public outlines of the HPSCI legislation reveal that it would serve to expand surveillance of people in the United States in several alarming ways, from targeting immigrants to reviving provisions of the PATRIOT Act that expired years ago. · It would fail to address alarming threats to civil rights, like the government’s purchase of massive amounts of data about American communities without court orders, while depriving members of Congress the opportunity to meaningfully address these threats. · The HPSCI bill would reauthorize Section 702 without in any way addressing the vast majority of the government’s abuses of the authority — abuses that are actively undermining civil rights. In conclusion, Section 702 must not be reauthorized without a meaningful opportunity for members of Congress to reform the authority and other related warrantless surveillance practices. Including in must-pass legislation any extension would sell out the communities that have been most often wrongfully targeted by these agencies and warrantless spying powers generally. Adding legislation to reauthorize Section 702 during conference that has not been debated by either House or Senate Judiciary Committee or either chamber would amount to a profound procedural and substantive failure. Stop AAPI Hate urges like-minded organizations and individuals to amplify the coalition letter by making use of a Social Media Toolkit with sample language and graphics.For more information, contact Andy Wong at andywong@caasf.org . Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/410Sf0Y . Read the WIRED report on this topic: https://bit.ly/3uBqJLj . Concerned individuals may also send their opposition of warrantless surveillance to their Congressional members here: https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R . Call for a White House Statement of Apology on the Chinese Exclusion Act On December 17, 2023, it will be the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This date holds great significance for the Chinese and Asian Pacific American communities across the country, as it marks the end of a dark era of discrimination and injustice. For more than two generations, the Chinese Exclusion Act tore apart families, denied the Chinese their citizenship and thus their voting rights, and subjected them to discrimination, hate, riots, and even murder. The Chinese community in America, as a result, suffered greatly, and the scars of this legislation continue to be felt to this day. In 2022, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt , the White House issued a well-received presidential proclamation apologizing for the harm caused to Japanese Americans. This gesture of remorse came 34 years after the US Congress passed a law in 1988 to apologize and provide reparations to the Japanese American community. United Chinese Americans (UCA) has organized an open letter to President Joe Biden, calling for the White House to issue a statement of apology on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Like-minded individuals and organizations are urged to sign on to the letter. APA Justice co-signed the letter.Read and sign on to the UCA letter: https://bit.ly/3T5jxRG NYT: Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics? According to the New York Times on November 28, 2023, at a college fair organized by the United States Embassy, the students and their parents hovered over rows of booths advertising American universities. As a mascot of a bald eagle worked the crowd, they posed eagerly for photos.But beneath the festive atmosphere thrummed a note of anxiety. Did America still want Chinese students? And were Chinese students sure they wanted to go to America?Students have been traveling between China and the United States for generations, propelled by ambition, curiosity and a belief that their time abroad could help them better their and their countries’ futures. The first Chinese student to graduate from an American university, Yung Wing , arrived at Yale in 1850 and later helped send 120 more students to America.For the last three years, the number of Chinese students in the United States has fallen. The number of American students in China, meanwhile, plummeted during the pandemic to a mere 350 as of this year compared to more than 11,000 in 2019.Both Beijing and Washington have acknowledged the importance of restoring exchanges. During his trip to San Francisco this month, China’s leader, Xi Jinping , declared that China was “ready to invite” 50,000 Americans to study in China over the next five years. The American ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns , has insisted that the United States welcomes Chinese students. But the official rhetoric belies obstacles that both governments have continued to erect, driven by the same nationalism and concerns about national security that have derailed other parts of the relationship. Chinese propaganda regularly depicts the United States as dangerously crime-ridden, and many Chinese are also worried by increased reports of visa denials or border interrogations in the U.S. upon arrival. For Americans, the appeal of visiting China has dimmed under Mr. Xi, an authoritarian leader who has stoked anti-foreign sentiment. The U.S. government has also prohibited some American students from studying there, and some language-learning programs that it funds have moved from mainland China to Taiwan. Scholarly collaborations at all levels have been eroded by the geopolitical tensions. Chinese university students are still a robust presence in the United States, with nearly 290,000 in the 2022-23 school year. But many Chinese are concerned about programs like the Justice Department’s now-scrapped China Initiative, which critics said discriminated against scientists of Chinese descent.Other students have had visas revoked or denied under a Trump-era order known as Proclamation 10043 , upheld by the Biden administration, that bans students from certain Chinese universities from graduate study in the United States. Washington says those universities — the list is not public — have ties to China’s military.By making Chinese students feel unwelcome, the United States is hurting one of its historic strengths. The flow of Americans to China has always been much smaller. But Washington recognized the importance of increasing it. In 2010, President Barack Obama launched an initiative to send 100,000 American students to China over five years, who the State Department said would be “the next generation of American experts on China.”The Biden administration has also not reinstated the Fulbright program in China, which President Donald J. Trump suspended. Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/47VlAvQ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/12/02 A Virtual Fireside Chat 2023/12/03 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/04 APA Justice December 2023 monthly meeting 2023/12/05 The Role of Chinese Students in America2023/12/06 1882 Foundation Lecture and Reception: We are Americans 2023/12/10 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/12 Community Briefing on Section 702 Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. A Growing Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus On November 28, 2023, the Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPI Caucus) hosted a stakeholder listening session ahead of the 60-day Virginia state legislative session starting on January 10, 2024. State Delegate Kathy Tran serves as the Chair of VAAPI Caucus. State Senator Ghazala Hashmi is Vice Chair. The 2024 VAAPI Caucus has 8 members - 3 state senators and 5 state delegates. 3. UCA Virtual Fireside Chat - Journey to Public Service WHAT: Webinar on "A Virtual Fireside Chat with Representatives Ya Liu, Lily Qi and Chao Wu" WHEN: Saturday, December 2, 2023, 7:00 pm ET/04:00 pm PTDESCRIPTION: https://bit.ly/3sPpEPDHOST : United Chinese Americans (UCA)MODERATOR: Haipei Shue , President of UCA SPEAKERS: · Ya Liu, Member, North Carolina House of Representatives · Lily Qi, Member, Maryland House of Delegates · Chao Wu, Member, Maryland House of Delegates REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3N5JY5W 4. The Serica Initiative Continues; The China Project Ends On November 7, 2023, The China Project (formerly SupChina) announced its shutdown due to many accusations in both the U.S. and China of working for nefarious purposes for the government of the other. Launched in 2016 with the aim of informing the world about China with a breadth and depth that general interest news organizations cannot devote to one country. It has incurred enormous legal costs and made it increasingly difficult to attract investors, advertisers, and sponsors. On November 29, 2023, The Serica Initiative , The China Project’s New York-based sister nonprofit organization, announced that it will carry forward the mission to both advocating for greater Asian American inclusion and advancing positive social impact in U.S.-China relations. Back View PDF December 2, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #139 Special Edition on the Campaign to Oppose the Nomination of Mr. Casey Arrowood #139 Special Edition on the Campaign to Oppose the Nomination of Mr. Casey Arrowood Back View PDF August 24, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter