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Newsletter - #354 10/6 Meeting; NAKASEC Updates; Kin Hui/CACA; Acting Dir. Census Bureau; Gary Locke; + #354 10/6 Meeting; NAKASEC Updates; Kin Hui/CACA; Acting Dir. Census Bureau; Gary Locke; + In This Issue #354 · 2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · NAKASEC: Know Your Rights and Case Updates · Kin Hui Elected National President of C.A.C.A. · New Acting Director at Census Bureau · The Honorable Gary Locke 骆家辉 · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, October 6, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Mike German , Retired Fellow, Liberty & National Security, Brennan Center for Justice · Margaret Lewis , Professor, Seton Hall University School of Law · Pat Eddington , Senior Fellow, Homeland Security and Civil Liberties, Cato Institute Mike German has announced his retirement. A former special agent with the FBI, his work focuses on law enforcement and intelligence oversight and reform. Before joining the Brennan Center in 2014, German served as the policy counsel for national security and privacy for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington legislative office. Mike’s latest book, Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within (The New Press, 2025), issues a wake-up call about law enforcement’s dangerously lax approach to far-right violence. The book shows how systemic racism persists within police forces, and it urges more strategic and focused approaches to address the problems. He will reflect on his exemplary career of courage and integrity, as well as his thoughts on civil liberty, national security, and current state of the country, including possible comments on the C100-USCET-APA Justice webinar series. Maggie Lewis's research focuses on China and Taiwan with an emphasis on criminal justice and human rights as well as on legal issues in the U.S.-China relationship. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the National Committee on United States-China Relations Board of Directors, for which she is also a Public Intellectual Program fellow. She has been a Fulbright Senior Scholar at National Taiwan University, a visiting professor at Academia Sinica, a consultant to the Ford Foundation, and a delegate to the U.S.-Japan Foundation’s U.S.-Japan Leadership Program. She is also a nonresident affiliated scholar of New York University (NYU) School of Law’s U.S.-Asia Law Institute. Maggie just spent part of 2025 on sabbatical as a Visiting Academic Researcher with the Melbourne Law School's Asian Law Center. She returns to update us on her activities and share her perspectives on the C100-USCET-APA Justice webinar series and how organizations and communities might work together. Pat Eddington brings a wealth of experience to the Cato Institute after serving nearly a decade as a military imagery analyst at the CIA during a critical period of global change and later as a senior policy adviser on Capitol Hill, where he worked extensively on intelligence oversight, surveillance, and drone policy. He is a prolific writer and commentator, committed to advancing government transparency, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring accountability in national security policy. Pat returns to update us on his latest activities and current affairs of our nation, including possible comments on the C100-USCET-APA Justice webinar series.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 . NAKASEC: Know Your Rights and Case Updates On September 24, 2025, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) conducted Bystander Training on how to safely intervene when encountering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in public spaces, support targeted individuals, and document enforcement activities, all while protecting personal safety and abiding by the law.Whether it is witnessing a detention, documenting an ICE checkpoint, or supporting someone facing questioning, the webinar informed participants with intervention strategies that promote dignity, safety, and solidarity with our immigrant neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers.NAKASEC has also created a web page with Know Your Rights information in both English and Korean, as well as a 24/7 Hotline: 1-844-500-3222 to provide live confidential assistance in English and Korean. Visit https://nakasec.org/resources/know-your-rights/ for additional information. 1. Update on ICE Raid of Hyundai-LG Plant in Georgia On September 24, 2025, The New York Times reported that in early September, more than 300 South Korean engineers working on Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle and battery plant in Georgia were swept up in what U.S. officials called the largest-ever Homeland Security raid at a single site. Many had entered on short-term business or tourist visas—a “gray zone” often used because of U.S. labor shortages and visa limits.The engineers—many highly skilled in battery and factory construction—were shackled, held in harsh conditions, and accused of visa violations, despite their work supporting a project expected to create thousands of U.S. jobs. Detainees described mistreatment, including inadequate food, lack of translators, and even racist gestures, prompting a South Korean government investigation.“My main takeaway is that America is not a safe place to work. I don’t think I would go there again to work,” Park Sun-kyu said.“Not even prisoners of war would be treated as badly as hundreds of Korean workers detained by US immigration authorities,” said South Korea’s Labor Minister Kim Younghoon said.According to NAKASEC, most of the Korean workers have now returned home, but many others—from Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, and Venezuela—remain detained. NAKASEC emphasized that this raid, like others, reveals that the Trump administration’s actions are not about legality or safety but about targeting non-white, immigrant communities and spreading fear. The group continues to call for the immediate release of all workers and a permanent end to workplace raids. 2. Update on Tae Heung “Will” Kim Tae Heung “Will” Kim , a 40-year-old Ph.D. student at Texas A&M and green card holder since age five, was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport on July 21, 2025, after returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea. The detention stemmed from a 2011 misdemeanor marijuana charge that had already been sealed.According to The Battalion , the student newspaper of Texas A&M University since 1893, while in ICE custody, Will Kim faced harsh conditions, including being confined to office-like spaces without proper sleeping arrangements, denied daylight, and moved between multiple states. Advocates note that his legal rights were not fully respected, and the prolonged detention far exceeded standard regulatory limits.Kim ’s case has drawn attention from advocacy groups such as NAKASEC, Adoptees for Justice, and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), who argue that his detention exemplifies the broader impacts of aggressive immigration policies on international students and researchers. Kim, a scientist working on Lyme disease prevention, is seen as making significant contributions to public health, and supporters warn that his continued detention hampers important research. His case has prompted petitions and calls for action, emphasizing the psychological, educational, and societal consequences of detaining legal permanent residents like Kim, as well as the chilling effect on international students considering study and research opportunities in the U.S. Kin Hui Elected National President of C.A.C.A. The Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A., 美洲同源會) is one of the oldest continuous civil rights organizations in the United States. Founded in 1895 in San Francisco, it has worked for more than a century to uplift Chinese Americans by promoting ethics and values, defending the full rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, fostering patriotism, preserving cultural heritage, and educating future leaders. Today, C.A.C.A. has grown into a national organization with local lodges across many U.S. cities.From September 5–7, 2025, C.A.C.A. held its 58th National Biennial Convention at its National Headquarters in San Francisco under the theme “From Exclusion to Empowerment: Shaping a Just Future.” At the conclusion of the convention, Kin Hui and Rick Eng were elected National President and Executive Vice President, respectively. “Established in 1895, at a time when we were excluded [the Chinese Exclusion Act was not repealed until 1943], the C.A.C.A. was founded by young visionaries to advocate for the rights of Chinese American citizens. Today, it is our time to act boldly and shape a just future,” Kin Hui said in his press statement. One of his calls to action is to defend birthright citizenship. As early as 1940, C.A.C.A. was guiding members and the broader Chinese American community on their rights under the 14th Amendment and defending their American citizenship : https://bit.ly/3VFn61i . Today's climate echoes that past, with renewed threats to birthright citizenship. C.A.C.A. passed a resolution during the National Convention to push back against efforts to undermine the 14th Amendment and protect the rights of Chinese Americans.On September 26, 2025, major media including AP News , CNN , NBC News , New York Times , and Politico reported that the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to uphold President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship—the long-standing principle that children born in the U.S. are automatically citizens.President Trump issued the order on his first day in office, but it has been blocked by the courts. Four federal judges have ruled that it clearly violates the 14th Amendment and established precedent. The leading case, United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), affirmed that a child born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrant parents was a U.S. citizen.If the justices take up the case, the Supreme Court could hear arguments in its new term beginning in early October, with a decision likely by June or July 2026. New Acting Director at Census Bureau According to AP News , NPR , and other media reports, George Cook , a Trump administration appointee, has been selected to serve as Acring Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. He assumes the interim leadership role previously held by career economist Ron Jarmin , who returns to his position as Deputy Director. Cook also serves as the Commerce Department’s Acting Undersecretary for Economic Affairs — the post overseeing the Census Bureau — and as chief of staff to that office. Before joining the administration, Cook worked as an institutional investor and economic analyst. This leadership shift follows the January resignation of Rob Santos , who had been appointed by President Biden in 2022 to a five-year term as Census Bureau Director. Since then, the Trump administration has also disbanded or scaled back advisory committees of statisticians, demographers, and community stakeholders, reducing external oversight and expert input.The timing is significant: President Donald Trump has renewed calls for a new census that would exclude undocumented immigrants from apportionment counts. Such an effort faces steep legal and operational hurdles under existing law (the Census Act) and constitutional protections (14th Amendment). Meanwhile, Census employees cite worsening staffing shortages and budget cuts that could undermine the bureau’s ability to deliver accurate, reliable data.The appointment has drawn sharp criticism. “The appointment of someone serving as the chief of staff — who is necessarily and understandably a political loyalist — as the director of the largest statistical agency, without the necessary qualifications the law requires, is extremely worrisome,” said Terri Ann Lowenthal , a veteran census consultant and former House oversight subcommittee staff director. “The usual process would be to keep the career acting director in place until the administration identifies an individual qualified to be the permanent director.”President Trump's firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner following the release of a weaker-than-expected jobs report in August also sparked alarm about political interference with key federal data. The Honorable Gary Locke The Honorable Gary Locke 骆家辉 is a featured speaker in the inaugural webinar titled "Bridging Nations: People-to-People Exchange in U.S. China Relations" on Thursday, October 16, 2025, starting at 8:00 PM ET. As Governor of Washington, Gary Locke oversaw the creation of 280,000 new private sector jobs. He also had the most diverse cabinet in state history and over half his judicial appointees were women. His management skills and innovations won him acclaim by nationally recognized organizations, including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. During his tenure, Washington was ranked one of America’s four best managed states. As Commerce Secretary, he led President Obama’s National Export Initiative to double American exports; assumed a troubled 2010 Census but which under his supervision ended on time and $2 billion under budget; and achieved the most significant reduction in patent application processing in the agency’s history. As U.S. Ambassador to China, he opened markets for made-in-USA goods and services; reduced wait times for visa interviews of Chinese applicants from 100 days to 3; and through the Embassy’s air quality monitoring program, exposed the severity of China’s air pollution. Beyond his public achievements, Gary Locke’s story is deeply personal. The son of Chinese immigrants, he grew up in Seattle’s Yesler Terrace public housing. His father, a World War II veteran and small business owner, and his mother, who spoke little English, instilled in him the values of hard work and education. Gary often recalls doing homework in his family’s restaurant, where he learned early lessons about perseverance and responsibility that shaped his career in public service.Governor Locke is Board Chair of Committee of 100. Register to attend the webinar by scanning the QR code above or clicking this link : https://bit.ly/20251016Webinar News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/10/01 C100: Obstacles and Opportunities in Media and Entertainment2025/10/03 Covering China—Journalism, Scholarship, and the Global Conversation2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/10/07 Convervations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: David Henry Hwang2025/10/16 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 LawVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. C100 Conversations: David Henry Hwang WHAT : Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: David Henry Hwang WHEN : October 7, 2025, 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm ET WHERE : Online event HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator: Peter Young , CEO and President of Young & Partners; Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board Member Speaker : David Henry Hwang , playwright, librettist, and screenwriter DESCRIPTION : David Henry Hwang is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays FOB, Golden Child, and Yellow Face. He has one Tony Award (M. Butterfly) and three other nominations (Golden Child, Flower Drum Song, and Yellow Face), as well as a Grammy Award (Ainadamar) and one other nomination (Soft Power). Three of his works (M. Butterfly, Yellow Face, and Soft Power) have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4nLsnAf # # # 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 September 30, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #233 2/5 Monthly Meeting; USHCA; Restore Scholarship Programs; Enter The Dragon; More #233 2/5 Monthly Meeting; USHCA; Restore Scholarship Programs; Enter The Dragon; More In This Issue #233 · 2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · US Heartland China Association (USHCA) · Call to Restore Severed Scholarship Program · Enter The (Year of The) Dragon · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, February 5, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), invited and confirmed speakers are: · Erika Moritsugu (invited), Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House, will kick off the Lunar New Year by reviewing the Year of the Rabbit (2023) and looking forward to the Year of the Dragon (2024). · Lora Lumpe, Chief Executive Officer, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, will tell us about the Quincy Institute and its plans and activities. The Quincy Institute promotes ideas that move U.S. foreign policy away from endless war, toward military restraint and diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace in a world where peace is the norm and war is the exception. On November 13, 2023, it led a coalition of diverse organizations in a letter to Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping calling for more stable and productive bilateral ties. · Min Fan 范敏, Executive Director, US Heartland China Association (USHCA) will introduce USHCA and describe its mission and activities. See below for more description of USHCA. · Sandy Shan, Executive Director, Justice is Global, will share how individuals and organizations can help support grassroot rollout of a US-China climate cooperation bill this spring. In 2020 and 2022 , Justice is Global conducted two community canvassing projects that engaged swing state voters susceptible to anti-immigrant sentiments in conversations about the future of US-China cooperation. The positive outcomes from these two projects informed Justice is Global’s current work in supporting the rollout of a climate cooperation bill. 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 Year of The Dragon - Empowering Justice, Embracing Change According to ChatGPT, "Empowering Justice, Embracing Change: Welcoming the Year of the Dragon 2024 with APA Justice. May this year be a symbol of strength, resilience, and transformative justice for the Asian American community. Let us unite, roar against injustice, and soar towards a future where equality prevails. Happy Lunar New Year from APA Justice - Advocating for a brighter and more just tomorrow!" US Heartland China Association (USHCA) Originally the Midwest U.S.-China Foundation, US Heartland China Association (USHCA) was founded by U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson (IL); John Rodgers , Lawyer and Professor, and Governor Bob Holden (MO), former Chairman of the Midwest Governors Association. USHCA covers 20 states that stretch from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. 430 Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in 84 of the cities within the Heartland region. Our mayors lead 37 of the 100 largest cities in the United States. In the first such visit since the pandemic; USHCA led a bipartisan delegation of six U.S. mayors representing communities along the Mississippi River Basin to visit their counterparts in the People's Republic of China in November 2023. Watch the video of the visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJsS8beUppg (8:25). The six mayors are: · Mayor Jim Brainard , Carmel, Indiana · Mayor Robyn Tannehill , Oxford, Mississippi · Mayor Barbara Buffaloe , Columbia, Missouri · Mayor Kim Norton , Rochester, Minnesota · Mayor Lee Harris , Shelby County, Tennessee · Mayor Chokwe Lumumba , Jackson, Mississippi Min Fan 范敏, Executive Director of USHCA will introduce USHCA and describe its mission and activities at the February 5 APA Justice monthly meeting. Call to Restore Severed Scholarship Program According to a report by Diplomatic Courier on January 31, 2024, nearly 300,000 Chinese higher–education students studied in the U.S. during the 2022–2023 school year , while only around 350 U.S. students studied in China. Closing this gap will be key to improving U.S.–China relations in the long–term.In the 2022–2023 school year there were just under 300,000 Chinese higher–education students studying in America. That is down from a peak of over 370,000 in 2019–2020, yet China remains the largest source of international students in the U.S. education system. By contrast, it has been reported that there are roughly 350 American students currently studying in China [according to US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns , that number has doubled to about 700 during the Jimmy Carter Forum last month], down from 11,639 in the 2018–2019 school year and its peak of just under 15,000 in 2011–2012. Much of this drop has to do with the pandemic preventing study in China, but also deteriorating relations have kept American students away.What is the best method to increase this number? The U.S. should begin sending students to China again through programs like Fulbright, Peace Corps, and the Boren Awards, which have all been closed to China within the past four years.Peace Corps volunteers in China received notice in January 2020 that all programs in China were shutting down. President Donald Trump terminated the China and Hong Kong Fulbright programs on July 14, 2020 via executive order as a response to the Hong Kong national security law that broadly eroded Hong Kong’s independence. These moves were politically charged, short–sighted, and aimed at worsening U.S.–China relations. These programs have been questioned before as a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars, yet they have received bipartisan funding for decades. Shutting these programs down did not set back the Chinese government, but it did constrain American students, would–be China experts, and U.S. national security interests. Why should the U.S. reinstate these programs and increase the number of American students studying in China? Firstly, these programs create the next generation of China experts. Secondly, the U.S. should reimplement these programs to improve U.S.–China relations. There is a bill to bring back the Fulbright program , but it has been sitting in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for almost a year with three cosponsors. These programs also help improve relations in the day–to–day lives of citizens. For many Chinese, the first American they met was in one of these programs. Participants become pseudo–ambassadors for America, sharing our values and views with Chinese who otherwise might never have heard directly from an American.Ultimately, suspending the Fulbright, Peace Corps, and Boren Awards for Americans in China harms, rather than protects, national security and the future of U.S.–China relations. A crucial step in improving and preparing for the future of U.S.–China relations is to reestablish these government–funded grants. This way, future public servants will be able to more accurately understand, interact with, and create policy on China.Read the Diplomatic Courier report: https://bit.ly/3HGQrRO According to AP News on January 29, 2024, the Chinese government has protested to the United States over the treatment of Chinese arriving to study in America, saying some have been interrogated for hours, had their electronic devices checked and in some cases were forcibly deported from the country. Xie Feng , the Chinese ambassador in Washington, said dozens of Chinese holding valid visas have been denied entry over the past few months when returning to school from overseas travel or visiting relatives in China. The protest comes as the U.S. and China try to boost student and other exchanges to shore up their relations, which have turned confrontational in recent years over trade, technology, human rights and, more fundamentally, the future direction of the world.China’s state media have reported at least three cases since November at Dulles where Chinese students lost their valid student visas, received a five-year entry ban and were repatriated following long hours of interrogations. They were asked if their studies were financed by the Chinese government, if they were members of the Chinese Communist Party or its youth arm, and if their research was linked to the Chinese government, the Chinese military or key state laboratories. The students were headed to the National Cancer Institute, Yale University and the University of Maryland respectively.Read the AP News report: https://bit.ly/3OpWMF5 Enter The (Year of The) Dragon According to NBC News , it is the Year of the Dragon, and people can expect a lot of good fortune — but only if they are harnessing the animal’s most important quality: compassion.Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — will begin February 10, kicking off more than two weeks of festivities, customs and plenty of feasts. It celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a fresh year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.The upcoming year’s dragon sign is perhaps the most popular zodiac creature, associated with a host of positive qualities such as nobility, wealth and wisdom. The year’s dragon sign is, more specifically, a wood dragon. The element of wood is seen in Daoist tradition as a return to the natural state of being, which in the dragon’s case, points to a return to kindness. And Confucian thought interprets wood as a symbol of unlimited potential. The dragon, which corresponds to years 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024, has long been associated with highly valued traits, according to Jonathan H. X. Lee , a professor of Chinese folklore and religion at San Francisco State University. Those born in the year of the dragon are often said to be generous, make great leaders and have a lot of charisma. Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/47XogZy News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/02/01 CAMDC Deadline for Essay Contest2024/02/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/02/10 New Year's Day of the Year of the Dragon2024/02/13-15 Senior Executives Association Senior Executive Leadership Summit2024/02/13 Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism WHAT: Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism WHEN: February 13, 2024, 5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern Time WHERE: Online Fireside ChatHOST: Committee of 100MODERATOR: Peter Young, Committee of 100 member and Chair of the Committee of 100 Asian American Career Ceiling InitiativeSPEAKERS: · Nicole Dungca, Investigative Reporter, Washington Post and President of the Asian American Journalist Association · Amy Qin, National Correspondent, The New York Times DESCRIPTION: Asian Americans have faced significant career obstacles in the Journalism industry, as is true in many industries,. Our two panelists will share their observations about the career ceilings problem in Journalism, their own personal experiences, and the advice that they would give to Asian Americans pursuing careers in the industry. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3u0p6qM 3. SEA: Senior Executive Leadership Summit WHAT : Hybrid Event 2024 Senior Executive Leadership Summit WHEN: February 13-15, 2024 WHERE: Online and In-Person: Partnership for Public Service, 600 14th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 HOST: Senior Executives Association DESCRIPTION: As the premier annual conference on public service leadership, the summit will inspire, develop and connect leaders across government, with a focus on current and aspiring Senior Executive Service (SES) members. This three-day event will include world-class keynote speakers, esteemed panels and productive group breakout discussions that will address the current obstacles federal leaders are facing and how to break boundaries and lead despite these challenges. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3HDSaay Back View PDF February 1, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

NIH's "China Initiative" WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME Filter by Title Select Title Go Go Prev Next On February 23, 2022, the Department of Justice announced the formal end of the “China Initiative,” concluding that there was merit to some of the criticism from Asian Americans and from universities that the program was not only fueling discrimination but was also harming efforts to attract top talent and to pursue cutting edge research. NIH’s “China Initiative” would continue without a similar announcement. However, in or around August 2022, NIH began an online report on “outcomes of NIH Foreign Influence Cases.” As of June 9, 2024, the annual number of NIH cases shows a similar pattern to DOJ’s “China Initiative,” with a sharp drop-ff after 2022. NIH did not report the number of cases prior to the launch of DOJ’s “China Initiative” in 2018. 2022/03/23 NIH’s “China Initiative” Continues Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to customize this theme across your site. You can update and reuse text themes. Timeline Contents

Warrantless Surveillance Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the U.S. government engages in mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans’ and foreigners’ phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications. Information collected under the law without a warrant can be used to prosecute and imprison people , even for crimes unrelated to national security. Given our nation’s history of abusing surveillance authorities and the covert nature of the legislation, we should be concerned that FISA and Section 702 is and will be used to disproportionately target disfavored groups—whether minority communities, political activists, or even journalists. Introduction This web page traces the evolution of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) from its origins as a safeguard against domestic surveillance abuses to its transformation into a powerful framework for global intelligence collection—and the profound civil liberties consequences that followed. Organized chronologically, it documents how crisis-driven expansions after 9/11 enabled warrantless surveillance authorities, how those authorities were codified through Section 702, and how practices such as “incidental collection” became normalized within U.S. intelligence operations. Critically, this evolution has had a disparate and enduring impact on Asian Americans, particularly those with familial, professional, or cultural ties across the Pacific. Because Section 702 targets non-U.S. persons abroad, communications involving Asian Americans are far more likely to be swept into government databases, queried without warrants, and treated through a lens of foreign suspicion. Over time, these dynamics have reinforced the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype, contributed to racial profiling in national security investigations, and blurred the line between foreign intelligence gathering and domestic civil rights protections. FISA and its amendments are not the only laws subject to misuse and abuse in the name of national security. The U.S. Constitution protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures; however, under Section 702 of FISA, the U.S. government engages in mass, warrantless surveillance of electronic communications. Information collected this way can be used to prosecute innocent individuals or for alleged crimes unrelated to national security. Given the nation's history of surveillance abuse and program secrecy, there is significant concern that Section 702 is and will continue to be used to disproportionately target disfavored groups, including minority communities, political activists, and journalists. The current authorization of Section 702 is set to expire on April 20, 2026. What is FISA? What is Section 702? The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, commonly abbreviated as FISA, was enacted in 1978, establishing regulated procedures for physical and electronic surveillance as a means to collect foreign intelligence information. The act was designed to create a legal framework that balanced national security needs with constitutional protections by requiring judicial oversight of domestic intelligence surveillance through a specialized court, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). FISA’s enactment stemmed from widespread revelations of government surveillance abuses conducted in the name of national security during the Vietnam War and the Watergate era. Under the legislation, federal officials must first obtain approval from the Attorney General, Acting Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, or the Assistant Attorney General for National Security before seeking a FISC order authorizing electronic surveillance or physical searches. Section 702 is a provision of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, establishing procedures for acquiring foreign intelligence when communications travel through domestic communications infrastructure. For example, a U.S. person’s email communications could be collected if they are in contact with a person reasonably believed to be located outside of the U.S. who is in possession of “foreign intelligence information.” Under 702, the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence are authorized to make and submit to FISC written certifications for the purpose of acquiring foreign intelligence information. Essentially, this legislation allows the government to surveil noncitizens overseas without a warrant. Soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the George W. Bush Administration began a series of questionable secret surveillance practices, including warrantless domestic wiretapping. Major amendments to FISA were subsequently made to legitimize and empower some of these secret operations. FISA was transformed into massive warrantless surveillance programs shrouded in secrecy, and Chinese Americans continue to be disproportionately impacted. FISA Amendments Act of 2008 The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 added a new Title VII to FISA, authorizing targeting of non-U.S. persons outside the U.S. Section 702 details additional limitations to such surveillance, requiring that the surveillance must be conducted in a manner consistent with the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Asian Americans Disproportionately Impacted Soon after the enactment of Section 702, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) declared economic espionage to be a major security threat to the U.S.In May 2017, the Committee of 100 presented a white paper, “ Prosecuting ‘Chinese Spies’: An Empirical Analysis of the Economic Espionage Act ” by legal scholar Andrew Kim of South Texas College of Law. Among other disturbing findings, the study showed an immediate spike in prosecutions against Asian Americans in 2008. A series of innocent naturalized Chinese Americans in private industry, federal government, and academia were accused of spying for China, but all of them were subsequently dismissed without explanation.Despite the heroic efforts of individuals to defend themselves against all odds, they and their families have suffered devastating damages in legal expense, emotional trauma, and reputational devastation. Serious Constitutional Issues When the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 was due for reauthorization in 2012, little was known about the warrantless, mass surveillance programs because they were shrouded in secrecy. Today, we know that even the FISA court had sharply criticized in its written opinion (declassified in April 2017) that the government reporting efforts were lacking in “institutional candor” and represent “a very serious Fourth Amendment issue.” This same FISA court has approved more than 99.5% of the government’s requests since the enactment of FISA in 1978. FISA and its amendments are not the only laws subject to misuse and abuse by the authorities in the name of national security. The magnitude of their adverse implication and impact has been difficult to assess due to the inherent secrecy and complexity; however, we do know that protection of privacy and civil liberty has been grossly inadequate under FISA and its amendments. Perspectives Supporting and Opposing FISA 702 At its core, FISA balances two opposing extremes—national security and the protection of civil liberties. This section discusses the rationale behind both support and criticism of the legislation. Support of FISA Proponents of FISA highlight the legislation's role as a crucial safeguard of American national security, emphasizing that proactive, preventative foreign intelligence surveillance protects the U.S. from critical threats. Christopher Wray, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), advocated this position in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security in November 23, saying “loss of this vital provision, or its reauthorization in a narrowed form, would raise profound risk.” He continued, “for the FBI in particular, either outcome could mean substantially impairing, or in some cases entirely eliminating, our ability to find and disrupt many of the most serious security threats.” At the same hearing, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) echoed these concerns, stressing the need to be able to determine “whether international terrorists could gain access to and pose a threat to the homeland.” Criticism of FISA On the other hand, opponents of FISA contend the legislation allows the U.S. government to collect sensitive information from or about U.S. citizens, threatening the integrity of the Fourth Amendment and the guaranteed civil liberties of Americans. Additionally, civil rights groups argue the legislation unfairly targets immigrants and people of color. This is not only because FISA targets individuals based on national origin, but also because immigrants are more likely to be in contact with non-U.S. citizens located abroad, and therefore their communications are more likely to be examined and investigated. On its website, the Electronic Frontier Foundation stated that FISA does not align with the intention of the American national security program, and “people on U.S. soil should not have their communications collected without a warrant.” The American Civil Liberties Union encourages people to be concerned that “Section 702 is and will be used to disproportionately target disfavored groups, whether minority communities, political activists, or even journalists.” Perspectives of Policymakers Various policymakers and political leaders have expressed conflicting views about the legislation, with some vacillating between support and criticism, underscoring the hypocrisy and political expediency often present in public office. At various times in their careers, Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard’s statements have exhibited this opportunistic behavior, and their statements are listed below. Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): During FBI director Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing on January 30, 2025, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) asked Patel whether he viewed a warrant requirement to access the stored communications of Americans to be “workable” in the FISA context. Patel responded that such a warrant requirement “would not be comportive” to protecting American citizens. In other words, Patel did not see the necessity of a warrant in accessing stored communications of Americans, and thus he supports FISA Section 702 as it is currently written. In April 2024, less than a year prior, Congress reauthorized Section 702 and expanded the government’s surveillance powers. At that time, Patel publicly criticized the law’s passage, stating that former FBI director Christopher Wray “was caught last year illegally using 702 collection methods against Americans 274,000 times,” demonstrating his dramatic change of opinion in eight months. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence: In December 2020, Tulsi Gabbard, then U.S. Representative for Hawaii, collaborated with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) to propose legislation limiting government surveillance of Americans. This legislation would have repealed Section 702. Additionally, Gabbard criticized the intelligence community, saying it “has not been transparent or honest with the American people or even Congress about what they’ve been doing.” However, after her nomination in early 2025, Gabbard publicly supported Section 702, referring to it as a “critical” program that “must be safeguarded to protect our nation while ensuring the civil liberties of Americans.” Recognizing her sudden apostasy, Gabbard said her “prior concerns about FISA were based on insufficient protections for civil liberties, particularly regarding the FBI’s misuse of warrantless search powers on American citizens,” citing FISA reforms enacted since then that address those issues. Impact on Asian Americans Warrantless surveillance in the U.S., conducted through legislation such as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the China Initiative, has disproportionately affected minority communities and immigrants, including many Asian Americans. This section highlights the cases of Angwang, Xiaoxing Xi, and Gang Chen; however, these examples represent only a small fraction of those impacted. For a more comprehensive overview, please consult the full Impacted Persons list or the China Initiative webpage . Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Xiaoxing Xi was born and raised in China, graduating from Peking University with a BSc in physics in 1982 and later with a PhD in 1987. Following the completion of his education, Xi worked as a researcher in Germany before moving to the U.S. with his wife in 1989. Xi and his wife worked at Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, eventually settling in Pennsylvania. Xi’s wife works as a physics professor at Pennsylvania State University, while Xi became a professor at Temple University in 2009 and the chairman of Temple University’s physics department in 2014. In 2015, the Department of Justice accused Xi of illegally sending trade secrets to China, threatening him with 80 years in prison and $1 million in fines. Police raided Xi’s home and arrested him at gunpoint in front of his wife and two daughters. Xi later learned that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation had been listening to his phone calls and reading his emails for months, possibly years. Some of the investigations against him had been authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, but many were completely warrantless and conducted under Section 702 of FISA and Executive Order 12333. Four months later, charges were dropped after Xi and his legal team proved that the government had failed to understand the science behind the accusations, but the damage was already done. Temple University suspended Xi from his position as chair of the Physics Department and forced him to take administrative leave, tarnishing his academic and professional reputation. In October 2019, Xi received the Andrei Sakharov Prize , w hich recognizes "outstanding leadership of scientists in upholding human rights." Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 On September 21, 2020, Baimadajie Angwang, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer, was arrested and charged with allegations of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China, wire fraud, making false statements, and obstructing an official proceeding. He faced up to 55 years in prison and was considered a flight risk by the NYPD. Angwang was arrested at his home in Long Island in front of his wife and two-year old daughter. He spent six months in solitary confinement in Brooklyn before he was granted bail. On January 19, 2023, all charges against Angwang were abruptly dropped, but the NYPD has refused to reinstate him and has continued its internal investigation against him. A year later, New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban ordered the immediate firing of Angwang, choosing a harsher penalty than what was recommended by the NYPD disciplinary judge. Angwang moved to the U.S. as a teenager, enlisted in the Marines, and served in Afghanistan. He is a naturalized citizen. To this day, much of the evidence against him and the reason the charges were dropped remain classified, highlighting the covert nature of American intelligence surveillance and the disproportionate impact of warrantless surveillance on minority communities and immigrants. Gang Chen 陈刚 Born in Nanzhang, China, Gang Chen received an undergraduate and a bachelor's degree in engineering from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, before pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. After completion of his PhD, Chen worked at Duke University and the University of California, Los Angeles, before settling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2001. A year prior, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In January 2021, Chen was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, charged with wire fraud, failing to file a foreign bank account report in some tax years, and making false statements on his tax returns. The indictment provoked strong criticism, inciting the “We Are All Gang Chen” campaign and a massive outcry from the MIT community. The Department of Justice dropped all criminal charges against him on January 20, 2022. Timeline of Events APA Justice has created a comprehensive, interactive timeline chronicling the history of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and relevant context. Access the timeline here . Below, this webpage lists a brief summary of the five sections included in the timeline. I. Pre-FISA Prior to the enactment of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, concerns over government surveillance malpractice began to emerge, causing both legislators and the American public to pay more attention to national security and the protection of civil liberties. A decade before the enactment of FISA, the U.S. Supreme Court redefined the definition of a “search” or “seizure” under the Fourth Amendment in Katz v. U.S. Five years later, the Watergate scandal caused public outrage and increasing concerns of government abuse due to the burglaries and wiretapping that defined the crime. II. The Origin (1978–2007) This section describes the events following the initial enactment of FISA, including an executive order and the events of the case of Dr. Wen Ho Lee. Over two decades after the enactment of FISA, terrorists hijacked four airliners and crashed them into buildings, culminating in the deadliest terrorist attack in global history. Following 9/11, President Bush and the U.S. government enacted numerous stringent national security measures, including warrantless wiretapping of American citizens that was revealed by The New York Times . This controversy led Congress to seek a permanent statutory framework, culminating in the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. III. Codification and the Rise of "Incidental Collection" (2008–2017) In 2008, Congress enacted the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which included a new section, Section 702, that authorizes the targeting of non-U.S. citizens reasonably believed to be abroad. When the Amendments Act expired in 2012, Congress reauthorized it for another five years. In 2013, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed the scope of U.S. mass surveillance under Section 702, further igniting public attention and discontent. Following the formation of APA Justice Task Force (APA Justice) in 2015, the Committee of 100 (C100), APA Justice, and a variety of civil rights groups contributed to and published a variety of letters and educational documents, drawing attention to racial or ethnic profiling of Asian Americans under FISA. IV. The China Initiative & Racial Profiling (2018–2023) In January 2018, Congress reauthorized Section 702 for six years, extending it until 2024. Eleven months later, the Department of Justice launched the China Initiative, a broad enforcement effort intended to counter alleged economic espionage and intellectual property theft linked to China. Over time, numerous cases under this initiative collapsed or were dismissed, revealing patterns of racial profiling, overreach, and insufficient evidence. V. Modern Reform and the 2026 Reauthorization (2024–Present) In April 2024, Congress again extended Section 702 for another two years, establishing the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act with a new expiration date of April 20, 2026. Since then, numerous analyses have been published, examining the potential future of the legislation. In May 2025, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director, Kash Patel, abruptly shut down the Office of Internal Auditing, a watchdog agency established in 2020 as a direct response to controversy surrounding the FBI’s use of Section 702. Additional References and Links American Civil Liberties Union: Warrantless Surveillance Under Section 702 of FISA American Civil Liberties Union: A Chinese American Scientist and His Family are Battling the FBI’s Profiling in Court DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) Federation of American Scientists: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Ac t Congress.gov : https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11451 The Hill: Massie, Gabbard Team up on Bill to Repeal the Patriot Act NBC News: After Being Wrongfully Accused of Spying for China, Professor Wins Appeal to Sue the Government Punchbowl News: Gabbard Reverses Course on Key Intel-gathering Tool as Nomination Teeters

Newsletter - #327 C100 Conference; California Events; Xiaofeng Wang; AAJC; Harvard Says No; Litigations+ #327 C100 Conference; California Events; Xiaofeng Wang; AAJC; Harvard Says No; Litigations+ In This Issue #327 · 2025/04/25-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala · Fireside Chat and Advocacy Day in California · Update from Advancing Justice | AAJC · More on the Case of Professor Xiaofeng Wang · Harvard Rejects Trump Administration Demands · Latest on Litigations Against Trump's Executive Actions · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/04/25-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala The Committee of 100 (C100) is a national nonprofit composed of prominent Chinese Americans committed to ensuring equal citizenship, broad inclusion in American society, and constructive U.S.-China relations. Through education, policy research, legal advocacy, and leadership development, C100 works to elevate the voices and experiences of Chinese Americans and the wider AAPI community. Cindy Tsai 蔡欣玲 , Interim President of C100, provided an update on C100 and its upcoming activities during the APA Justice monthly meeting on April 7, 2025.C100 is currently focused on education and civil rights, particularly through its national initiative to track and advance the teaching of AANHPI history in K–12 schools and its Legal Defense and Education Fund, which supports those facing discrimination based on heritage. C100 is also actively monitoring state-level legislation, including discriminatory property restrictions based on national origin. In partnership with APA Justice, it has hosted a three-part series on alien land laws, with the final session set for the C100 Annual Conference and Gala in Los Angeles on April 25–26, 2025. The two-day conference will feature over 20 panels exploring AAPI identity, civil rights, U.S.-China relations, and cultural representation. A major theme is the power of storytelling, arts, and media to shape public perception and foster cross-cultural understanding. Notable sessions include a Hollywood panel moderated by filmmaker Adele Lim , featuring actors Sherry Cola , Harry Shum Jr ., and others, and a conversation on K-pop’s global impact with SM Entertainment founder Soo-man LEE . Academy President Janet Yang 杨燕子 will host a segment with Samantha Quan , producer of Anora (this year’s Oscar-winning Best Picture), Shannon Lee 李香凝 , daughter of martial arts legend Bruce Lee 李小龙, and Izaac Wang , lead actor in Didi (弟弟). A panel featuring UC Irvine Law Professor Robert Chang , Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu 吳元之 , and legendary Texas House Representative Martha Wong 黃美華 will address the resurgence of alien land laws and grassroots responses across the country and what we can do in our respective home states. Other panels will explore the national security–civil rights intersection, including travel risks for scholars with Chinese passports or green cards, and the broader implications of recent investigations like that of Indiana University Professor Xiaofeng Wang 王晓峰 . A separate discussion between Queens College President Frank Wu 吳華揚 and UCLA Vice Chancellor Roger Wakimoto will underscore the importance of AAPI representation in academic leadership—an idea shaped with input from Dr. Les Wong , former president of San Francisco State University and Northern Michigan University. The conference will also spotlight multiracial and multiethnic AAPI identity, with a dedicated panel and workshop on exploring personal heritage and belonging. For more information, contact Cindy Tsai at president@committee100.org and register for the conference here: https://bit.ly/4icDSOQ A summary of the April 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. Fireside Chat and Advocacy Day in California 1. San Francisco: "Beyond the China Initiative: Civil Rights, National Security, and the Future of AAPI Communities" On April 30, 2025, starting at 6:00 pm PT, the Committee of 100, Council of Korean Americans, Japanese American Citizens League, Stand wih Asian Americans, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) will host a fireside conversation on " Beyond the China Initiative: Civil Rights, National Security, and the Future of AAPI Communities. " The event will be held at the TAAF office at 150 Post Street - Mela Lounge, San Francisco, CA 94108. The featured speaker is Professor Franklin Tao 陶丰 , one of the first scientists charged - and fully exonerated after a prolonged legal battle - under the DOJ's now-defunct China Initiative. Professor Tao will be joined by his wife, Hong Peng , and his attorney, Peter Zeidenberg , offering a rare and personal perspective on the human cost of misdirected national security policies.Moderated by Charles Jung , President of the San Francisco Bar Association, the program will also examine the broader consequences of the Initiative with policy expert and civil rights advocate, Gisela Perez Kusakawa — from its impact on civil rights to lessons learned and ongoing concerns facing immigrant and Asian American communities in the United States. Register for the event: https://bit.ly/3EsqdEH . Read Professor Tao's story: https://bit.ly/4i0WZLw 2. Sacramento: California AANHPI Coalition Advocacy Day WHAT: California AANHPI Coalition Advocacy Day WHEN: April 28, 2025, 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET WHERE: Stanley Mosk Library Steps – 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814 HOST: APAPA and coalition of 75+ AAPI organizations DESCRIPTION: The event features AANHPI legislators, coalition leaders, and bill authors for a Rally & Press Conference. It represents the largest statewide AANHPI advocacy mobilization since the Stop Asian Hate movement. It will kick off AAPI Heritage Month not with celebration, but with an urgent call for collective action. Since returning to office, President Trump has moved to eliminate birthright citizenship, roll back work visas, expand deportations, dismantle language access, and target Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. His administration is also slashing Medicaid and funding for culturally competent nonprofits and safety-net services for millions of AANHPI families. California’s AANHPI communities are taking action and calling for bold state leadership in the face of these attacks. CONTACT : media@apapa.org Update from Advancing Justice | AAJC During the APA Justice monthly meeting on April 7, 2025, Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC highlighted three key developments: 1. AAJC applauded the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and is collaborating with partners on next steps. 2. In response to visa revocations, arrests, and disappearances of migrants and international students across the U.S., AAJC is preparing a joint statement with its network to support those targeted for political reasons, to be shared once finalized after the meeting. 3. Joanna detailed ongoing opposition to alien land laws, particularly Texas HB 17, commending local partners who mobilized testimony and rallies. Over 100 people provided testimony. AAJC provided legal analysis and messaging support throughout the process and will continue to provide rapid response support. In Michigan, AAJC prepared advocacy materials as lawmakers considered similar legislation. At the federal level, AAJC is monitoring the possibility of a new legislative push dubbed “China Week 2.0” and are preparing a sign-on letter in response. More on the Case of Professor Xiaofeng Wang During the State of Play Town Hall hosted by the Asian American Scholar Forum on April 14, 2025, Nianli Ma , wife of Professor Xiaofeng Wang 王晓峰 , expressed deep distress over how their family, including her husband, a tenured professor, was treated by Indiana University (IU) on March 28, 2025. Despite dedicating over two decades to the institution, they were not given an explanation or due process. The family feels betrayed and devastated, especially after contributing to the country for so long. Nianli describes the emotional toll this has taken, including weight loss, sleeplessness, and constant worry. Despite the hardship, they are grateful for the support from the community and various organizations. They are determined to fight not only for themselves but also for the broader research community and seek public support to cover legal fees and continue their battle for justice.A GoFundMe has been set up by their son, Luke Wang , at https://bit.ly/3E70Vfm . AASF is leading a coalition of concerned organizations and individuals in an open letter to IU Provost Rahul Shrivastav requesting reinstatement of Professor Wang. According to the South China Morning Post , Carl Weinberg , a professor at IU’s College of Arts and Sciences, tenured faculty members in the US were entitled to due process when facing termination. When Weinberg and other faculty members pressed the university for answers, they were told to direct their questions to the FBI. “This is outrageous,” he said. “I was glad to hear Xiaofeng’s wife Nianli Ma, who was also fired with no reason given, to say that they are fighting this injustice.”On April 12, 2025, the Federation of Asian Professor Associations (FAPA) issued a public statement regarding the case of Professor Wang, condemning his termination by IU and raising serious concerns about the erosion of due process, threats to academic freedom, and the ongoing pattern of racial profiling targeting Chinese American scientists. FAPA also sent an open letter to IU President Pamela Whitten . On March 31, 2025, the Executive Committee of the Bloomington chapter of the American Association of University Professors (IUB-AAUP) sent an open letter to IU Provost Rahul Shrivastav, expressing serious concern over the abrupt termination of tenured Professor Wang, asserting that IU failed to follow required due process under Policy ACA-52. Emphasizing the importance of due process in safeguarding academic freedom and shared governance, the committee urges the university to revoke the termination and follow established procedures. Read the story of Professor Wang: https://bit.ly/42tbPVR Harvard Rejects Trump Administration Demands According to AP News , CNN , Harvard Gazette , New York Times , Reuters , and multiple media reports, on April 14, 2025, Harvard University strongly rejected demands from the Trump administration that threaten $9 billion in research funding, calling them unlawful and a violation of academic freedom and constitutional rights. The decision is believed to be the most overt defiance by a university since President Trump began pressuring higher education to conform to his political priorities.Within hours of Harvard taking its stand, the Trump administration announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school and threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status.“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a message to the community. He added: “ No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue. ” “This is what Joe McCarthy was trying to do magnified ten- or 100-fold,” said Lawrence H. Summers , a former Harvard president, adding that “it runs directly against the university’s role in a free society.” On April 11, 2025, the Harvard faculty chapter of the American Association of University Professors, along with the national organization, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its demanded policy changes while reviewing nearly $9 billion in federal funding. The lawsuit, American Association of University Professors - Harvard Faculty Chapter v. United States Department Of Justice (1:25-cv-10910) , was filed in conjunction with a request from the professors for an immediate temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from cutting off Harvard University’s federal funding. Latest on Litigations Against Trump's Executive Actions As of April 15, 2025, the number of lawsuits against President Donald Trump 's executive actions reported by the Just Security Litigation Tracker has grown to 195 (4 closed cases). Among the latest developments, law firms fight back against Trump executive orders.The Trump administration has targeted law firms and lawyers perceived as adversaries with executive orders (EO) and actions that have included canceling government contracts, revoking security clearances, and initiating investigations into firms' diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Some of these firms have responded by filing lawsuits. On April 11, 2025, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and Eimer Stahl LLP, on behalf of more than 800 law firms from across the country, filed amicus briefs in support of Jenner & Block LLP and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP in addition to their previous brief in support of Perkins Coie LLP. · Susman Godgrey LLP v. Executive Office of The President (1:25-cv-01107) @District of Columbia. The law firm Susman Godgrey sued the President over President Trump's EO on April 9. On April 15, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued a temporary restraining order, blocking key provisions of the executive order. · Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale AND Dorr LLP v. Executive Office of The President (1:25-cv-00917) @District of Columbia. The law firm WilmerHale sued the Executive Office of the President and several government agencies over President Trump’s March 27 EO. On March 27, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon granted the law firm’s request to temporarily block several sections of the EO. · Jenner & Block LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice (1:25-cv-00916) @District of Columbia. The law firm Jenner & Block sued the Department of Justice and other government agencies over President Trump’s March 25 EO. On March 25, U.S. District Judge John Bates granted the law firm’s request to temporarily block several sections of the EO. · Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice (1:25-cv-00716) @District of Columbia. The law firm Perkins Coie sued the Department of Justice and other government agencies over President Trump’s March 6, 2025 EO. On March 12, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell granted Perkins Coie’s request to temporarily block several sections of the EO. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar 2025/04/22 Scholars Not Spies: Fighting for International Academic Workers’ Rights in an Era of Rising US-China Conflict2025/04/24-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2025/04/24 CHINA Town Hall: The First 100 Days: President Trump's China Policy2025/04/24 Federal Employees: Know your Legal Rights2025/04/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/28 California AANHPI Advocacy Day2025/04/30 Beyond the China Initiative: Civil Rights, National Security, and the Future of AAPI Communities2025/05/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/05/06 Asian American Careers - How to Build Your Personal Network, including Through Strategic Allies2025/05/11 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. 2024/04/24 Federal Employees: Know Your Legal Rights WHAT: Federal Employees: Know your Legal Rights WHEN: April 24, 2025, 4:30 - 5:30 pm pm ET WHERE: Webinar HOSTS: JCRC of Greater Washington and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Moderator : Ron Halber , Chief Executive Officer, JCRC Speakers : · Robert Shriver , Managing Director, Civil Service Strong and Good Government Initiatives at Democracy Forward; Former Acting Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management · Michelle Bercovici , Partner, Alden Law Group DESCRIPTION: Federal layoffs and agency funding changes are impacting many across the Greater Washington area — some directly through job loss, others through ripple effects on schools, camps, and Jewish communal life. Join the webinar about the legal rights of terminated federal employees. It is part of part of JCRC community's efforts to support those directly or indirectly impacted by government employee layoffs, agency reorganizations and/or budget cuts. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/4jtSSYQ 3. 1990 Institute is Hiring and Starts 2025 College Essay Contest The 1990 Institute, is seeking a dynamic, motivated individual to become our new Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations to lead fundraising efforts and identify and cultivate donor relationships. Read the job description on the 1990 Institute website, and send a resume and cover letter to hiring@1990institute.org . The 1990 Institute also announced the opening of the 2025 Essay Contest, which is organized by China Focus, an online publication at UC San Diego and jointly hosted by the 1990 Institute, the Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China, The Carter Center, and the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy. You may submit your essay in either Chinese or English. The contest offers two topics and awards two prizes of $1,000 and four runner-up prizes of $ 500 each. Read more and apply here: https://bit.ly/4idtQMz . Deadline is May 1, 2025, 11:59 PM PT. # # # 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 April 17, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #64 Letter To Commerce Secretary; Profiling Of Federal Employees; More Rallies #64 Letter To Commerce Secretary; Profiling Of Federal Employees; More Rallies Back View PDF June 7, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Community Responses The AAPI community's responses to AAPI issues. Our watchlist contains all of the most pertinent issues and legislations to the Asian American community. Check it out Our Watchlist See Congress's statements and actions regarding AAPI issues. Explore Congressional Actions Campaign to Oppose The Nomination of Casey Arrowood Read More 11. MIT Technology Review Investigative Reports Read More 9. Stanford Faculty Starts Nationwide Campaign to End China Initiative Read More 6. Letter to President-Elect Biden to End China Initiative Read More ASBMB Protests Racially Motivated Cancellation of Research Grant Read More Top Scientific Organizations Call for Fairer Treatment of Foreign-born Scientists Read More

Newsletter - #394 Forbidden Citizens; AAJC Updates; USCET Resource Hub; Letter to Congress; Resistance+ #394 Forbidden Citizens; AAJC Updates; USCET Resource Hub; Letter to Congress; Resistance+ In This Issue #394 · Forbidden Citizens: Congressional Regrets of Chinese Exclusion Laws · Updates from Advancing Justice | AAJC · USCET: New Resource Hub on Academic Travel to China · NYT : 2,500 Scientists Open Letter to Congress · Science Editorial on Resistance · News and Activities for the Communities Forbidden Citizens: Congressional Regrets of Chinese Exclusion Laws During the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 4, 2026, Martin B. Gold , Partner of Capitol Counsel LLP, provided a comprehensive account of the successful effort, roughly 15 years ago, to secure congressional resolutions expressing regret for the Chinese Exclusion Laws—an effort that unfolded over more than three years (2009–2012) and required careful legal, political, and strategic coordination. The initiative began in 2009 in the office of Representative Judy Chu 趙美心 , shortly after her election. A coalition of Chinese American and broader Asian American organizations met to explore how Congress might formally acknowledge the historical injustice of the exclusion laws. Marty, then a partner at Covington & Burling, helped lead the effort on a pro bono basis. This allowed the team to dedicate substantial legal resources to researching what turned out to be a complex legislative history—not just the well-known Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, but a series of eight related laws enacted between 1879 and 1904, which collectively restricted immigration, denied naturalization, and institutionalized discrimination against Chinese immigrants. These laws remained in effect until their repeal in 1943 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt . From the outset, Marty emphasized that success depended on bipartisan support. Representative Chu secured a Republican co-sponsor in the House, while in the Senate, Republican Scott Brown served as lead sponsor with Democratic support from Dianne Feinstein . Notably, both Chu and Brown were relatively junior members of the minority party in their respective chambers—making the effort more challenging and underscoring the importance of coalition-building and strategic positioning. The resolutions were introduced in May 2011 and referred to the Judiciary Committees in both chambers. In the Senate, leadership from Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley enabled the resolution to move forward. The Senate passed the resolution on October 6, 2011, by unanimous consent—a significant milestone that demonstrated broad bipartisan agreement. The House process proved more difficult. Some members raised concerns that the resolution could be interpreted as criticizing immigration controls more broadly. The issue was not limited to immigration; the historical laws also denied Chinese immigrants the ability to naturalize, based on explicit claims that they could not assimilate. This combination of immigration and citizenship issues made the resolution more politically sensitive. The turning point came through intervention from House leadership, specifically the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor . His Chief of Staff, Neil Bradley , played a key role in breaking the impasse. At Cantor’s direction, staff worked with Representative Chu to negotiate a compromise that would allow the resolution to move forward. As a result, the House version passed on June 8, 2012. While its language differed somewhat from the Senate version, the core substance and intent remained aligned. Marty emphasized that passage of the resolutions was not the endpoint. Without continued engagement, he noted, the achievement could easily have faded from public awareness. To prevent that, he and others undertook an extensive education effort, delivering roughly 50 talks across the country—from New York to Honolulu—primarily to Chinese American and Asian American audiences. These efforts focused not only on what Congress had done, but also on the broader historical context and significance of the exclusion laws. Marty highlighted several lessons from the effort: · Bipartisanship is essential : Meaningful legislative achievements, particularly on sensitive historical issues, require support from both parties. · Coalition-building matters : Success depended on coordination among community groups, legal experts, and congressional offices. · Leadership intervention can be decisive : The House breakthrough came only after direct involvement from senior leadership. · Substance requires rigor : The effort was grounded in deep legal and historical research, covering multiple decades of legislation. · Education must follow legislation : Without continued outreach, even significant achievements risk being forgotten. Marty concluded by expressing pride in the success of the effort and in the role played by Covington & Burling in supporting the work on a pro bono basis. He emphasized that both the legislative accomplishment and the historical lessons behind it remain important to preserve and communicate. Marty’s 616-page book, Forbidden Citizens: Chinese Exclusion and the U.S. Congress — A Legislative History , was released on July 4, 2012. It was the first comprehensive legislative history of the Chinese exclusion laws passed by Congress. The book was named an Honor Book by the Asian and Pacific American Librarians Association and won a Benjamin Franklin Award. It is widely regarded as an important and timely work given ongoing debates about immigration, discrimination, and civil rights. APA Justice produced a timeline visualization based on Marty’s book at https://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/78461/1882-Chinese-Exclusion-Act/ . Watch a video of Marty’s talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUqYIJYn0Hk (7:10). Updates from Advancing Justice | AAJC During the May 4 APA Justice monthly meeting, Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC provided updates on three topics: 1. FISA Section 702 Congressional activity in the days before recess produced a messy outcome: the House passed a 3-year clean extension that included an unrelated provision banning central bank digital currency, but the Senate Majority Leader rejected that provision as a poison pill. The immediate result is a 45-day extension to continue pushing for reforms — specifically a warrant requirement and closing the data broker loophole. She gave a special acknowledgment to CAPAC for co-leading a reform letter with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and supported by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). 2. China Initiative H.R. 1468 — the "Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from the CCP Act," advanced by the House Judiciary Committee in March — would effectively reinstate the defunct China Initiative under a new name. AAJC has been working in coalition with Stop AAPI Hate, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) to oppose it. While it is unclear if or when the bill will reach the House floor, AAJC is circulating an opposition letter to the Hill, expected to go out by end of that week. Contact Joanna at jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org for more information. 3. SBA Policy Changes New Small Business Administration (SBA) rules now require 100% U.S. citizen ownership to qualify for SBA loans — reversing prior policy that allowed limited foreign ownership. The changes affect the flagship 7(a) and 504 loan programs, microloans, and surety bonds, and include new documentation requirements and nationality-based restrictions specifically targeting individuals with ties to China and Hong Kong. Joanna warned that these changes create barriers to capital access for AAPI-owned small businesses — one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial segments in the country — and risk discrimination based on perceived foreign ties rather than actual financial risk. AAJC has endorsed the Investing in the American Dream Act (Sponsored by Edward J. Markey and Rep. Nydia Velázquez ) and participated in a closed-door listening session with the senator alongside AAPI small business leaders. USCET: New Resource Hub on Academic Travel to China On May 11, 2026, the US-China Education Trust (USCET) released a new online Resource Hub on academic travel to China. The free platform provides practical guidance for students, scholars, faculty, and researchers navigating study, research, and collaboration opportunities in China amid today’s evolving U.S.-China academic exchange environment. The Resource Hub was developed in response to the sharp decline in Americans studying in China—now fewer than 2,000 students annually—highlighted in USCET’s 2026 America's China Talent Challenge report . Designed primarily for travelers in the social sciences and humanities, the Hub offers vetted information on visas, technology, security, academic freedom, funding opportunities, and institutional considerations. It also compiles lessons and perspectives from recent travelers to help users better understand current conditions and make informed decisions about academic engagement in China. USCET notes that the guidance reflects the experiences and best practices of scholars, students, and institutions involved in academic travel since 2020. The materials are intended as informational resources and should be considered alongside institutional policies, official government guidance, and individual circumstances. Key features of the Resource Hub include: · Operational Toolkit : Practical guidance on logistics, including visa processes and technology, as well as addressing security and academic freedom concerns. · Funding and Programs : A database of current fellowships, funding opportunities, and active academic programs (summer study, research) in China. · Crowd-Sourced Guidance : Insights and lessons from recent travelers, offering on-the-ground perspectives. · Target Audience : Focused on students, faculty, and researchers in the social sciences and humanities. For more information, visit the USCET Resource Hub: https://uscet.org/resource-hub/ . USCET formally launched the Resource Hub for Academic Travel to China on May 4, 2026 at a public webinar event "Should I Study in China?" The program brought together students and scholars to discuss current conditions on the ground, suggestions for navigating the academic environment in China today, and identifying how the Resource Hub can support travelers weighing the decision of whether to go to China. Watch the launch event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbYDDG1-cJo (59:20). NYT: 2,500 Scientists Open Letter to Congress According to The New York Times , there is mounting concern among scientists and former research officials following Donald Trump ’s dismissal of all members of the National Science Board, the independent body that oversees the National Science Foundation. More than 2,500 scientists signed a letter urging Congress to restore the board, calling the move an “alarming attack” on U.S. scientific research and innovation. The scientists warned that disruptions to NSF governance and funding could weaken America’s global scientific leadership at a time when China is rapidly increasing its investments in research and development. The concern was reinforced by the NSB’s own 2026 science and engineering report, finalized before the board’s dismissal, which concluded that China had overtaken the United States in overall research and development expenditures. Established in 1950, NSF distributes billions of dollars annually to support research across fields including artificial intelligence, astronomy, engineering, and the social sciences. Former board members and agency leaders say NSF is now operating under severe strain, with no confirmed director, staffing reductions, relocation disruptions, and proposed budget cuts exceeding 40%. According to the Grant Witness Project, the agency had committed only about 10% of its appropriated funding by May 1—roughly half the pace of previous fiscal years. Several former board members said relations with the administration deteriorated sharply in 2025 after NSF canceled hundreds of active research grants without consulting the board. Shortly afterward, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan resigned, followed by additional departures from board leadership. Former members described increasing frustration over limited transparency and repeated responses from agency officials that key decisions were still “under discussion” with the administration. The report also highlights concerns that normal oversight processes were increasingly bypassed. Former board members pointed to a proposed $900 million Arctic research vessel project that appeared in the president’s budget request without undergoing standard NSB review procedures. Keivan Stassun , who chaired the board’s committee on large facilities, said the proposal “had not gone through any of the normal processes” before the board was dismissed. The White House defended the firings by citing constitutional concerns related to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling and argued that NSF remains aligned with Trump’s goal of strengthening American technological leadership. Former board members, however, warned that the combination of weakened oversight, funding uncertainty, and leadership instability places the agency in a “very precarious position” and could have long-term consequences for U.S. scientific competitiveness and national security. Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/4wpw5Vq . Read the scientists’ open letter to Congress: https://bit.ly/4d68Ubb Science Editorial on Resistance A Science editorial examines the growing anxiety within the American scientific community following federal grant cancellations, immigration restrictions on foreign scientists, and repeated attempts by the Trump administration to sharply reduce science funding. Although Congress ultimately restored much of the funding, delays in distributing grants and continuing political uncertainty have left many researchers uncertain about how to respond. The editorial centers on a conversation Science editor-in-chief H. Holden Thorp had with historian Timothy Snyder , author of On Tyranny , about how scientists and universities should balance resistance to political pressure with the need to protect institutions and maintain professional ethics. Snyder argues that universities should allow criticism and activism rather than suppress them, while recognizing that different institutions and individuals may respond differently depending on their circumstances. The discussion highlights the importance of scientific integrity, using the refusal of the Annals of Internal Medicine to retract a vaccine-related study at the request of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as an example of maintaining professional standards under political pressure. Snyder emphasized that scientists cannot effectively respond to attacks by abandoning their own ethical and evidentiary standards. The editorial also explores the unequal nature of public debate, noting that critics of science often make broad political claims while scientists feel compelled to respond with rigorous evidence and precision. Snyder argues that this imbalance is common during periods of authoritarian pressure and that scientists should not imitate political rhetoric in response. Rather than prescribing a single form of activism, Snyder suggests that scientists contribute in different ways depending on their roles and personal circumstances. Some may engage publicly through protests or advocacy, while others may support the broader effort through local actions, mentoring, communication, or simply defending professional norms within their institutions. The editorial concludes that protecting science will require sustained collective action, clearer public communication about the value of research, and mutual support across the scientific community. While not everyone must become a public activist, Snyder argues that scientists should avoid passivity and that those taking visible risks in defense of science deserve broad backing from their peers. Read the Science editorial and watch the interview with Timothy Snyder: https://bit.ly/4ts490k (35:38) News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/05/12-14 Celebrating 250 - Building America’s Future Together 2026/05/13 The Model Minority Trap: How ‘Positive’ Stereotypes Harm Asian Americans 2026/05/20 Trump v. Barbara: Birthright Citizenship at the Supreme Court 2026/06/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/06/10 Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Calvin TsaoVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Cato: Trump v. Barbara: Birthright Citizenship at the Supreme Court WHAT : Trump v. Barbara: Birthright Citizenship at the Supreme Court WHEN : May 20, 2026, 2:00-3:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOST : Cato Institute Speakers: · Paul Finkelman , President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy, Emeritus, Albany Law School and Visiting Professor of Law, University of Toledo College of Law · Dan Greenberg , Senior Legal Fellow, Cato Institute · Ilya Somin , Professor of Law, George Mason University, and B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute · Jack Chin , Edward L. Barrett Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Legal Education, UC Davis School of Law. DESCRIPTION: Does the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee birthright citizenship to persons born in the United States to parents without permanent immigration status? This is an insightful discussion with a group of scholars who will break down Trump v. Barbara, consider the recent Supreme Court oral argument, and explore the approaches the Court might take as it reaches a decision. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4dg8Kwt # # # 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 May 13, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #319 NYU Shanghai; JACL et al v Musk/DOGE; Birthright/SB17/Student Visa Ban; Mahmoud Khalil #319 NYU Shanghai; JACL et al v Musk/DOGE; Birthright/SB17/Student Visa Ban; Mahmoud Khalil In This Issue #319 · NYU Shanghai Receives Record Number of Applicants · JACL and OCA Join Lawsuit Against Musk and DOGE · Latest on Birthright Citizenship, Texas SB17, and Ban on Student Visas · Who Will Be Next After Mahmoud Khalil? · News and Activities for the Communities NYU Shanghai Receives Record Number of Applicants According to Washington Square News , a New York University (NYU) student newspaper, on March 12, 2025, NYU Shanghai received a record-breaking 24,000 applications for its class of 2029. This surge aligns with NYU’s overall admissions growth, making it the most-applied-to private university in the U.S. The Shanghai campus maintains an enrollment of about 500 students per class, with half of the spots reserved for domestic Chinese students from China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and the other half allocated to international students, with around 53% from the United States and the rest from 156 other countries. NYU Shanghai’s class of 2027 received just 16,773 applications from 84 different countries. The campus’ class of 2026 received 16,059 applications and its class of 2024 received over 13,000. The rise in applications, particularly from Chinese students, reflects a growing interest in international education without leaving China.The university’s unique position as the first Sino-U.S. research institution in China contributes to its appeal, offering students opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and career advancement. However, while NYU Shanghai and other joint programs like Duke Kunshan University (an all-time high of 11,884 applications this year) have seen application increases, American student enrollment in China has sharply declined, largely due to political and visa restrictions. NYU Shanghai requires all students to study abroad for at least one semester, though some Chinese students worry about potential travel limitations. David Pe, Dean of Students at NYU Shanghai, emphasized the importance of encouraging more students from NYU’s New York campus to study in Shanghai, citing the growing need for global engagement. JACL and OCA Join Lawsuit Against Musk and DOGE As of March 15, 2025, the number of lawsuits against President Donald Trump 's executive actions reported by the Just Security Litigation Tracker has grown to 126 with two closed cases. The New York Times is tracking court rulings that have at least temporarily halted some of the president’s initiatives. As of March 15, 2025, there are at least 46 such rulings.On March 5, 2025, the Campaign Legal Center filed a lawsuit , Japanese American Citizens League v. Musk (1:25-cv-00643) , in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists. The complaint alleges that under Musk’s leadership, DOGE has acted illegally to “slash federal funding, dismantle federal agencies and fire federal employees” to harming everyday Americans.JACL issued a statement that said: “Neither Elon Musk nor DOGE have the lawful authority to exercise the sweeping power that they currently wield in the federal government. However, since President Trump created DOGE and placed Elon Musk at its helm, Musk has exercised significant unconstitutional authority and taken control over our agencies and our funding systems. This illegal and reckless control over the federal government has upended the lives of countless individuals, both within the United States and abroad.” JACL Executive Director David Inoue said, “JACL joins this lawsuit to stop DOGE from making reckless cuts that will directly impact national historic sites under the National Park Service that are among those where over 125,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during WWII. Regarding what DOGE has done thus far, OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates Executive Director Thu Nguyen said, “The reckless budget cuts at the Department of Education are a direct assault on Pell Grant recipients, student organizations, and AANAPISI institutions that are vital to advancing educational equity.” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said, “We are taking DOGE to court to defend Americans’ ability to safely and freely access the landscapes that unite us.” Union of Concerned Scientists President Gretchen Goldman said, “DOGE’s actions have interfered with life-saving research and scientific collaboration on cancer, vaccines, extreme weather and more. They have pulled funding for job-boosting clean technology initiatives and fired civil servants who enforce laws that protect us from air, water and climate pollution.” Latest on Birthright Citizenship, Texas SB17, and Ban on Student Visas 1. Birthright Citizenship According to Reuters on March 11, 2025, a third federal appeals court has ruled against President Donald Trump 's executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, marking another legal setback for the administration. On March 11, 2025, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rejected the administration’s request to lift a nationwide injunction issued by a Massachusetts judge. This follows similar rulings by the 4th and 9th Circuit Courts, keeping the executive order blocked. Trump’s directive, signed on January 20, aimed to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born in the U.S. if neither parent is a citizen or lawful permanent resident, affecting an estimated 150,000 children annually.The 1st Circuit panel upheld the injunction, citing longstanding constitutional protections under the 14th Amendment and the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark , which affirmed birthright citizenship. Chief Judge David Barron criticized the administration for failing to present a constitutional defense of the order, instead attempting to disrupt established legal precedent. The lawsuits, led by 18 Democratic attorneys general, San Francisco officials, and immigrant advocacy groups, argue that the order would harm states by reducing federal funding tied to newly born citizens. According to the Washington Post and multiple media reports, the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court on March 12, 2025, to allow its birthright citizenship ban to take effect in about half of the country while legal challenges continue. The administration argues that these injunctions limit executive power and wants them restricted to only the states involved in the lawsuits. Critics say this would create legal chaos, forcing migrants to travel between states to give birth and overwhelming courts with challenges. The policy faces at least eight lawsuits, and four nationwide injunctions have already been issued against it. Opponents argue the order is blatantly unconstitutional, violating the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court precedent from United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898). The ACLU and state attorneys general argue that the executive branch cannot bypass the Constitution and must pursue a constitutional amendment to change birthright citizenship. Judge John C. Coughenour , a Reagan appointee, called the order politically motivated and unconstitutional, and his ruling is now on appeal to the 9th Circuit, with arguments expected in June.On March 8, 2025, Stanford School of Medicine hosted a teach-in on Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment. Watch the video at: https://bit.ly/421Nnux (1:04:27)***** Trump Offers U.S. Citizenship to White Farmers in South Africa As Trump tries to strip birthright citizenship, according to CBS News on March 10, 2025, he reaffirmed his offer to grant U.S. citizenship to White farmers in South Africa, accusing the government of treating them "terribly" and promising "safety" and a "rapid pathway to citizenship." He criticized new land expropriation laws as "racist" and a violation of "human rights," leading to the halting of U.S. foreign aid.White farmers, reportedly making up less than 10% of South Africa's population, own around 70% of South Africa's arable land. This concentration of land ownership has been a focal point in debates about land reform in the country. Elon Musk , who was born in South Africa and still holds dual nationality, took to his X platform and criticized the government in Pretoria, claiming his Starlink satellite network was "not allowed to operate in South Africa, because I'm not black." South Africa's Electronic Communications Act , which, since 2005 has regulated broadcasting and telecommunications in the post-Apartheid country, requires that at least 30% of a company must be owned by previously disadvantaged groups as part of the criteria to gain a communications license. Starlink has not applied for a license to operate in South Africa. Clayson Monyela , the head of public diplomacy for the South African government's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, replied to Musk on X, saying: "Sir that's NOT true, and you know it! It's got nothing to do with skin color." 2. Texas Alien Land Bill SB17 Hearing According to AsAmNews on March 7, 2025, the Chinese community in Texas mobilized in large numbers to testify against Senate Bill 17 (SB17), which seeks to restrict property ownership for individuals from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea due to national security concerns. While the bill exempts citizens, lawful permanent residents, and asylum seekers, opponents argue it unfairly targets Asian Americans, discourages investment, and echoes past discriminatory policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act and Alien Land Laws. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst , who authored the bill, defended it as a measure to protect Texas’ land and resources. Lily Trieu of Asian Texans for Justice contends there is no substantial evidence of foreign land ownership posing a security threat. The hearing on March 6, 2025, saw strong opposition, with testimonies emphasizing the bill’s impact on Asian American communities and Texas’ pro-business reputation. Debbie Chen of OCA Greater Houston warned, “This bill echoes historic anti-Asian policies... fostering discrimination and anti-Asian hate.” Another speaker called it a “job killer” that undermines fundamental property rights and economic growth. With Texas home to over 1.5 million Asian Americans, opponents argue the bill casts every Chinese individual as a potential adversary. The Senate Committee on State Affairs adjourned the hearing without taking a vote. 3. House Bill to Ban Chinese from Student or Research Visas According to AP News , Northwest Asian Weekly , South China Morning Post , and multiple media reports, a new bill to ban Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas is set to be introduced by Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), reigniting debates over national security, racial profiling, and academic exchange. The Stop CCP VISAs Act seeks to block all student and research visas for Chinese citizens, going further than previous restrictions targeting specific fields. Moore's bill aligns with broader Republican efforts, including Project 2025, which calls for reducing visas from "enemy nations".Asian American advocates, however, call the bill xenophobic and counterproductive.Representative Grace Meng , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said that banning only Chinese students was “xenophobic and wrong-headed. We cannot give in to fearmongering tactics that will restrict the freedoms and economic opportunities that make America the envy of the world.” Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) also denounced the bill, emphasizing that Chinese students contribute to U.S. academia and democracy, warning, “Unilaterally cutting off pathways of study for Chinese students… will make our country less innovative and the world less safe.” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) warned that security concerns should be addressed “with a scalpel, not a bludgeon.” “No policy should target individuals solely on the basis of their national origin,” Fanta Aw , executive director and CEO of Association of International Educators (NAFSA), said in a statement. Yangyang Cheng , research scholar at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, said the bill “should be seen as part of a broader effort to restrict academic freedom and hurt higher education in this country, to control what can be taught, which research projects can be pursued, and who have access to the classrooms and laboratories.” John Yang , president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, denounced the proposal, stating, “We strongly reject this move to paint all Chinese students as a threat and caution against racial profiling based on geography and not fact.” Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups argue that such bans harm U.S. innovation, education, and diplomacy, while increasing discrimination against Asian Americans. In a public statement , Asian American Scholars Forum cautions that legislation like this would effectively harm the talent pipeline of Asian American scientists, scholars, and researchers, thereby undermining U.S. leadership in science and innovation. Who Will Be Next After Mahmoud Khalil? According to AP News , Intercept , New York Times , Washington Post , and other media reports, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil , a legal U.S. resident and former Columbia University protest leader, was arrested by federal immigration officials and now faces deportation. Despite holding a green card, Khalil was detained on claims that his student visa had been revoked, and later, that his permanent residency was being revoked as well. Permanent residents are entitled to due process before any revocation of their status. Khalil's wife is a U.S. citizen and is eight months pregnant. The lawsuit Mahmoud Khalil v. William P. Joyce (1:25-cv-01935) was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York on March 9, 2025. District Judge Jesse Furman temporarily blocked Khalil's removal the next day, pending further judicial review on March 21. Khalil is currently being held at a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana. ACLU and NYCLU issued a statement that they have joined Khalil's legal team in filing a motion under the All Writs Act to compel ICE to return Khalil to New York, where he can have access to his legal counsel and family. According to a statement by the Asian American Legal and Education Defense Fund (AALDEF) on March 12, 2025, The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil is illegal and discriminatory. Its intended effect is to chill free speech and create a climate of fear among immigrants, chiefly Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities. In the 1950s, during the McCarthy “red scare” era, people with opposing viewpoints were labeled as communist and targeted for investigation, arrest, and harassment by law enforcement. In the past several weeks, ICE has raided Asian communities, seizing family members without warning, detaining and then deporting them. The new administration has weaponized the immigration system as a tool for policing and now political oppression, against many people who themselves came to this country to escape political oppression.The Khalil case raises broader concerns about free speech, racial profiling, and immigration enforcement that could impact Asian Americans, particularly activists and immigrants. His detention over alleged political affiliations—without criminal charges—mirrors past government crackdowns on dissent, such as post-9/11 surveillance of Muslims and the "China Initiative" targeting Chinese researchers. The case also highlights the vulnerability of green card holders, a status many Asian immigrants hold, as Khalil faces deportation without a conviction. If his case sets a precedent, Asian American activists, students, and immigrants could face increased scrutiny, government targeting, or restrictions on political expression.On March 14, 2025, AP News reported that Leqaa Kordia , a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by immigration officers for overstaying her student visa. The Trump administration also revoked on March 5 the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan , an Indian citizen and doctoral student “for advocating for violence and terrorism.” ***** 2025/03/18 Stop AAPI Hate Community Town Hall on Anti-Immigrant Attacks WHAT : Stop AAPI Hate’s Community Town Hall on Anti-Immigrant Attacks WHEN : March 18, 2025, 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT WHERE : Virtual Town Hall HOSTS : Stop AAPI Hate DESCRIPTION : ICE officials are raiding communities, businesses, and private homes. Asian immigrants are being shipped off to Central American countries. And millions of immigrants and people of color are living in fear of racial profiling, detention, and deportation. The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda has put a target on the backs of our nation’s most vulnerable Asian communities — and we’re prepared to fight back. We’re bringing together advocates, organizers, and impacted folks for a virtual town hall on mass deportation and what it means for us. Register now to learn what’s at stake for immigrant communities and how different people are fighting for policies that protect our communities and our right to call this nation home. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4iudJLv News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2025/03/18 Stop AAPI Hate’s Community Town Hall on Anti-Immigrant Attacks2025/03/21 Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America2025/03/26 Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within2025/03/30 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/04/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/24-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2025/04/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/05/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/05/11 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. 03/21 SFU Webinar: Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America WHAT : Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America WHEN : March 21, 2025, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm PT/7:00 pm-9:30 pm ET WHERE : Hybrid event HOST : Simon Fraser University, Labor Studies Program DESCRIPTION : Join us for an important discussion on the case of Dr. Anming Hu , a respected scientist who was wrongfully targeted under the previous Trump administration’s China Initiative. Dr. Hu’s case highlights critical issues of racial profiling, academic freedom, and the growing surveillance of scholars in North America.This event will feature insights into Dr. Anming Hu’s case and experience, the broader implications for researchers of Chinese origin, and the fight for justice in academia in North America. We will also discuss what universities, scholars, and policymakers can do to protect academic integrity and prevent future injustices. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/3Fd11SD # # # 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 March 17, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #366 12/1 Meeting; Giving Tuesday; Yanping Chen; Internatonal Students; CAIR Sues; US Data+ #366 12/1 Meeting; Giving Tuesday; Yanping Chen; Internatonal Students; CAIR Sues; US Data+ In This Issue #366 · 2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Giving Tuesday - Consider APA Justice · Herridge Petition in Yanping Chen v FBI et al · International Students Drop | Serica Storytellers · CAIR Sues Texas Officials Over Terror Group Designation · The U.S. Needs Better Data · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, December 1, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Kin Yan Hui , National President, Chinese American Citizens Alliance · Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) · Edgar Chen , Special Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the Co-Organizers of APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . *****The American Civil Liberties Union is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. Patrick Toomey works on issues related to privacy and surveillance, racial and ethnic discrimination, and the use of novel technologies like artificial intelligence. His litigation and advocacy often focus on national security prosecutions or policies where these issues intersect. Patrick has litigated high-profile cases challenging sweeping surveillance programs operated by U.S. intelligence agencies, and has represented Asian American scientists who have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. government. Patrick returns to provide updates on recent ACLU activities.The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), "The Voice for 80,000 AANHPI Legal Professionals," held its annual convention on November 6-8, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. On November 25, 2025, NAPABA issued a joint statement with local affiliates in response to the Eleventh Circuit split decision upholding Florida’s discriminatory Alien Land Law SB264. As Senior Advisor for NAPABA, Edgar Chen returns to update us on the latest from NAPABA. Giving Tuesday - Consider APA Justice GivingTuesday is an annual global day of generosity that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It serves as a counterpoint to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday by encouraging people to donate to charities, volunteer their time, or perform acts of kindness. Created in 2012, the movement has grown into a large-scale effort that raises billions of dollars for nonprofits and fosters a spirit of giving back. APA Justice has been advancing fairness, equity, and belonging for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for the past 10 years. We identify emerging issues through coalition work, community engagement, and data insights. We educate policymakers and allies through media collaboration, an online resource hub, and regular briefings. And we mobilize communities to advocate for practical solutions and stronger civic participation.Your support strengthens civil rights protections, elevates AAPI voices, and helps build a more inclusive America. Now, as a powered by the Committee of 100 initiative, APA Justice invites you to make a tax-deductible contribution to sustain this work at: https://bit.ly/Donate2APAJustice . Herridge Petition in Yanping Chen v FBI et al On November 14, 2025, former journalist Catherine Herridge filed a petition with the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in the case of Yanping Chen v FBI et al . Herridge was previously held in civil contempt for refusing to identify the confidential sources she used in Fox News reports about a counterintelligence investigation into Dr. Yanping Chen —an investigation that never resulted in any charges. Dr. Chen alleges that federal officials unlawfully leaked her private information to Herridge in violation of the Privacy Act. Herridge was held in civil contempt for refusing to disclose her confidential sources in a Privacy Act lawsuit filed by Dr. Yanping Chen against federal agencies, including the FBI. Dr. Chen alleged that federal officials leaked her private information to Herridge, which was used in Fox News reports about a counterespionage investigation into Dr. Chen, who was never charged for any wrongdoing. Herridge invoked the First Amendment reporter’s privilege to protect her sources, but the District Court ruled that Dr. Chen had met the criteria to overcome the privilege, citing the centrality of the information and exhaustion of alternative sources. Herridge appealed. The three-judge panel of the Appeals Court affirmed the District Court’s decision with a 3-0 ruling, stating that the reporter’s privilege can be overcome in Privacy Act cases when centrality and exhaustion are established.Herridge has now petitioned for a rehearing by the three-judge panel and rehearing en banc by the entire Appeals Court in the DC Circuit. To learn more about the case, read th e summary of the November 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting led by Dr. Chen's attorney Andrew Phillips and the APA Justice web page on Dr. Chen . International Students Drop | Serica Storytellers According to NBC News on November 17, 2025, U.S. colleges and universities experienced a steep 17% decline in new international enrollment for fall 2025 amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.New data from the Institute of International Education confirms this is the largest non-pandemic drop in more than a decade and follows a 7% decrease the previous academic year. More than half of the 825 surveyed institutions reported declines, with 96% citing visa application problems as a major obstacle. Fanta Aw , CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, said visa delays and denials have made the U.S. “less competitive” globally, noting that “the U.S. is no longer the central place that students aspire to come to.” She also pointed to the Trump administration’s pause of new student visa interviews in May, which created severe backlogs.The downturn carries significant economic consequences. NAFSA estimates a $1.1 billion loss to the U.S. economy this year due to fewer international students. Last year, international students contributed nearly $43 billion and supported more than 355,000 U.S. jobs by spending on tuition, housing, services, insurance, and local goods. On December 2, 2025, the Serica Initiative will co-host an in-person event with David Wu , President, Baruch College, CUNY, and Frank Wu , President, Queens College, CUNY. As federal visa policies evolve, international students at City University of New York (CUNY) campuses face growing uncertainty. This timely conversation explores how student visa revocations are reshaping New York’s educational landscape. The panel delves into how immigration policy shifts ripple across classrooms, immigrant communities, and the city’s public higher education system — and how institutions can better advocate for and support affected students. The event will be moderated by Joan Kaufman , Senior Director for Academic Programs, the Schwarzman Scholars Program, and held at Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY, 219 W 40th St 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018. For more information and registration, please visit: https://bit.ly/47RWYHn CAIR Sues Texas Officials Over Terror Group Designation On November 20, 2025, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a lawsuit, Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas Dallas Fort Worth v. Abbott (1:25-cv-01878) , in the U.S. District Court for West Texas against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over Abbott’s proclamation designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organization on November 18. The designation prevents CAIR from acquiring property in Texas and imposes civil and criminal penalties, which the plaintiffs argue harm their advocacy work, fundraising, and reputation. CAIR argues in the lawsuit that Abbott acted to defame the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR contends that the proclamation violates constitutional rights, including protections for property and free speech, and strongly rejects Abbott’s characterization of CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist” and “transnational criminal” organizations. The lawsuit also notes that CAIR condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, contradicting Abbott’s allegations that CAIR’s executive director “publicly praised and supported” the attack. According to The Guardian , only the U.S. Secretary of State can officially designate foreign terrorist organizations under federal law. Abbott’s proclamation is tied to his broader efforts in Texas related to “foreign adversaries” and land restrictions. It bars CAIR members from purchasing land in Texas and allows Paxton to sue entities linked to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood, but it does not carry federal immigration consequences, asset freezes, or criminal penalties. Abbott justified the designation by citing a 2007 case involving CAIR and the Holy Land Foundation; CAIR was never indicted and has denied the allegations.According to The Guardian , only the U.S. secretary of state can officially designate foreign terrorist organizations under federal law. Abbott’s proclamation is tied to his broader efforts in Texas related to “foreign adversaries” and land restrictions. It bars CAIR members from purchasing land in Texas and allows Paxton to sue entities linked to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood, but it does not carry federal immigration consequences, asset freezes, or criminal penalties. Lena Masri , CAIR’s Litigation Director, said the lawsuit is “our first step toward defeating Governor Abbott again so that our nation protects free speech and due process for all Americans.” She warned, “No civil rights organization is safe if a governor can baselessly and unilaterally declare any of them terrorist groups, ban them from buying land, and threaten them with closure.” Several Republican officials previously called for an investigation into CAIR’s funding. CAIR has won three prior cases challenging Abbott’s alleged First Amendment violations. · 2025/11/20 Politico: CAIR Sues Texas Officials over Terror Group Designation · 2025/11/20 Houston Chronicle: Muslim civil rights group CAIR sues Greg Abbott over 'unconstitutional' terrorist designation · 2025/11/18 The Guardian: Texas governor Abbott designates Cair and Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups · 2025/11/18 New York Times: Texas Governor Declares Muslim Civil Rights Group a ‘Terrorist Organization’ · 2025/11/18 Washington Post: Texas governor declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization The U.S. Needs Better Data According to Barron's on November 22, 2025, good data matter more than ever in a complicated world, and the U.S. is falling behind.The recent 43-day government shutdown exposed how essential—and fragile—America’s federal statistical system has become. When agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics stopped collecting and publishing key indicators, policymakers, businesses, and investors were left without reliable information on unemployment, inflation, retail sales, and more. Although critics have questioned data accuracy in recent years, the shutdown made clear that federal statistics remain the “gold standard.” Yet this gold standard is eroding due to shrinking budgets, declining survey participation, and significant staff losses, all of which lead to larger revisions and slower, less reliable reporting.Part of the challenge lies in structural limitations: much of U.S. economic data still relies on labor-intensive surveys of businesses and households, even as response rates fall and the economy evolves more rapidly. While private firms now generate high-frequency, real-time data—ranging from digital payments to satellite imagery—federal agencies have been slow to adopt these sources due to cost, technical barriers, and the difficulty of processing large, unstructured datasets. Still, promising efforts exist. The Chicago Fed, for example, has blended traditional government data with private-sector sources to provide more timely labor and retail indicators that closely track official statistics.Looking ahead, experts argue that the U.S. needs a more modern, collaborative, and better-funded statistical system. Solutions include expanding blended-data approaches, adopting standardized employer records like those piloted by the U.S. Chamber Foundation, and even consolidating major statistical units into a single national statistics agency—something every other G-7 country already has. Although America’s decentralized system offers some protections against data manipulation, the growing risks of outdated, incomplete, or delayed information are becoming too large to ignore. With the economy and population shifting quickly, safeguarding and enhancing the nation’s data infrastructure is essential for informed decisions by policymakers, businesses, and the public. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/12/01 Cook County Circuit Court Hearing - Estate of Jane Wu v Northwestern University2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/12/02 Serica Storytellers: The Presidents | David Wu & Frank Wu2025/12/08 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Alice Young2026/01/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2026/01/13 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # 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 November 28, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen announced the end of the China Initiative. The 1,210 days of the Initiative were extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities. The end of the China Initiative is a welcomed start to correct the harms it caused. APA Justice is committed to continue its work to address racial profiling and seek justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American communities. February 23, 2022 Table of Contents Overview Caught in the Crossfire Request for Release of DOJ Review Report Community Town Hall Racial Profiling Before and After The China Initiative Links and References Overview On February 23, 2022, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Matthew G. Olsen, announced the end of the “China Initiative,” a program that was meant to address economic espionage but morphed into disproportionately targeting Asian Americans and academic communities for administrative errors and harming academic freedom and open science. While we disagree with Olsen’s self-assessment that the DOJ did not find racial bias in China Initiative cases, we welcome the end of the ill-conceived initiative and DOJ’s openness to listen and respond to community concerns. The work to address racial profiling against Asian Americans is far from over; in fact, it is just beginning. The flawed China Initiative has caused immeasurable damage to victims, and eroded the trust and confidence Asian American and academic communities placed in law enforcement. We urge transparency and accountability going forward. APA Justice is committed to continuing our work on these important issues. Moving forward, we urge the DOJ, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), and federal funding agencies to engage in dialogue with Asian American and academic community leaders, be responsive to public Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and inquiries, and provide facts and data to support their policies and practices. We hope this is the beginning of real change to reduce systemic prejudice and bias and focus on legitimate national security threats. We are encouraged by the progress made by OSTP to develop and implement fair and consistent reporting requirements that will not “diminish our superpower of attracting global scientific talent” and not “fuel xenophobia against Asian Americans.” More needs to be done for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to be fully engaged with the Asian American and scientific communities. In addition to transparency, APA Justice strongly believes that the federal government must be held accountable for its misconduct and abuse of power. Unfortunately, DOJ has not provided remedies for the impacted communities to heal and regain trust in the government, or offered an apology or support to the scientists who were falsely charged and suffered tremendous damage personally and professionally. The aggressive prosecutions and investigations by the DOJ and FBI have had devastating effects for families, friends, colleagues, and community members. Congress and the public must hold our institutions accountable for misconduct and misguided policies. DOJ must work to rebuild trust with the people it serves, particularly the Asian American and academic communities. They have been terrorized over the past three plus years under the China Initiative. We were encouraged that the DOJ acknowledged the chilling effect across academia, and believe that by advancing transparency and accountability, the U.S. government will send a signal that America is indeed the shining beacon of freedom and justice for all. APA Justice thanks the tremendous support from members of Congress and community partners in civil rights and academia who have worked tirelessly to support the victims and advocate for changes to the China Initiative. APA Justice is committed to fostering the ecosystem to effectively address racial profiling concerns and advocate for justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American communities. Caught in the Crossfire On March 30, 2022, WHYNOT | 歪脑 produced a video titled Caught in the Crossfire for the third and final episode of its "Caught in the Crossfire" series. It followed the case of MIT professor Gang Chen, one of the most prominent scholars being charged under the China Initiative, to show how the program had subjected scientists to loyalty tests. During the China Initiative’s lifespan of three plus years, the focus gradually shifted to academia, targeting a number of researchers and professors with grant fraud charges. Among those who were charged under the initiative, nearly 90% were of Chinese heritage, and many of the cases involving research integrity have been dropped after lengthy and costly legal battles. Concerns about racial profiling were repeatedly refuted by the FBI and the DOJ even as the China Initiative came to an end. The video has three chapters: "We Are All Gang Chen" 我们都是陈刚 The "China Initiative" "中国行动计划"的前生今世 A Scientist's Loyalty 科学家为谁而忠诚 2022/03/30 WHYNOT: How the DOJ's China Initiative subjected scientists to loyalty tests (video 16:39) 2022/03/30 歪脑: 大国夹缝中：“中国行动计划”下科学家面临的忠诚拷问 (video 16:39) Request for Release of DOJ Review Report On March 8, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, requesting the release of a report on the Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) review of the “China Initiative.” Release of a report on the findings of the review is critically important to ease the broad concerns that the end of “China Initiative” is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance. It is common for the government to produce a written report to memorialize an important review and usually includes the defined scope, issues examined, process and methodology used, findings, recommended changes, decisions, and plans for implementation. Community Town Hall On March 17, 2022, a virtual town hall meeting was held for community members to ask a panel of experts questions about the recent announcement from the Department of Justice to end the China Initiative. The meeting was convened by a coalition led by Advancing Justice | AAJC. It was not recorded. APA Justice issued the following statement for the town hall meeting: “Thank you, Advancing Justice | AAJC, for organizing this town hall. “The APA Justice Task Force fully supports the end of the ‘China Initiative.’ We appreciate the Department of Justice’s openness and willingness to engage, listen, and respond to community concerns. “Ending the “China Initiative” is a promising start to correct the harms caused by the initiative, apply lessons learned, and rebuild community trust and confidence that were lost in our law enforcement and judicial system. “But we emphasize that this is just a start. “We, like many other organizations and individuals, have broad concerns that the end of the initiative is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance. “On March 8, we wrote to Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen and requested the public release of a report memorializing the findings of his review. We raised five basic questions, including the scope of his review, the new role for the National Security Division, the re-start of implicit bias training, the thoroughness of the thousands of existing prosecutions and investigations, and whether the review covered allegations of DOJ and FBI misconduct. “Mr. Olsen’s response will go a long way to help us move forward. We will stay vigilant and continue to stand up and speak out. Our mission is not complete. “We need our government and our university administrations to be transparent, accountable, and operate with fairness and integrity. “APA Justice will focus on three main areas moving forward. “We call for Congress to exercise its oversight role to hold law enforcement and federal agencies accountable. We thank the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for its continuing leadership. “We fully support the initiative started by the Office of Science and Technology Policy to ensure that the new policies related to research security will not fuel xenophobia or prejudice. “We will urge university administrations to inform, assist, and protect their faculty members. Apply fair and due process. Do not cave and do not throw your faculty members under the bus. “The 1,210 days of the ‘China Initiative’ have been extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities. “We sincerely hope that the end of the ‘China Initiative’ will bring real change, start the healing process, and rebuild the lost trust. We look forward to work with many of you in this important journey. Thank you.” Racial Profiling Before and After The China Initiative The China Initiative was not the first, nor will it be the last, racial profiling faced by the Asian Pacific American communities in the history of the United States. We are not a perfect nation. Although some progress is made, we must never cease to pursue the ideals and principles of the United States through continuous awareness, education, civic engagement, and holding the government accountable. Visit our Racial Profiling page to learn more about some of the recent history before the China Initiative was launched and the continuing developments and attempts to revive the China Initiative since its end in February 2022. Jump to: Overview Caught in the Crossfire Request for Release of DOJ Review Report Community Town Hall Racial Profiling Before and After The China Initiative Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen announced the end of the China Initiative. The 1,210 days of the Initiative were extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities. The end of the China Initiative is a welcomed start to correct the harms it caused. APA Justice is committed to continue its work to address racial profiling and seek justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American communities. Previous Next 12. China Initiative Ends

Newsletter - #370 1/5 Meeting; Officer Angwang; NY Education Equity; Surveillance Reforms; Govt Broken;+ #370 1/5 Meeting; Officer Angwang; NY Education Equity; Surveillance Reforms; Govt Broken;+ In This Issue #370 · 2026/01/05 Monthly Meeting · The Story of Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 · NY Governor Signs “New York AANHPI Education Equity Act” · CDT Leads Coalition for Critical Surveillance Reforms · WP : Federal Government Broken in 2025 · News and Activities for the Communities 2026/01/05 Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Rep. Grace Meng 孟昭文 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, is invited to deliver a new year message and a review of 2025. In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Deborah Frankel , Counsel, Bloch & White LLP on Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 · Paul Cheng 鄭文耀 , President, Committee of 100 · Hua Wang 王华 , Chair; Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans · Sharon Wong , National Chair; Thu Nguyen , Executive Director, OCA National Center The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . The Story of Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , a naturalized U.S. citizen and former Marine, was arrested in 2020 as part of the Department of Justice's China Initiative. As an officer of the New York Police Department (NYPD), he was accused of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, with prosecutors labeling him an "insider threat." Officer Angwang maintained that his interactions with consulate officials were benign, and his defense argued that the government had misinterpreted and cherry-picked his communications. In January 2023, federal prosecutors dropped all charges "in the interest of justice" after uncovering new information. However, they refused to publicly explain the reversal, citing classified evidence. Although all the federal charges against Officer Angwang were dismissed in January 2023, NYPD failed to reinstate him. Contrary to most internal investigations based on court cases that had been dropped, NYPD continued its internal investigation against him. On January 29, 2024, former New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban ordered the immediate firing of Officer Angwang, saying he disobeyed an order to submit to questioning by internal affairs investigators about the spying case against him under the China Initiative. “It’s extremely disappointing,” Angwang told AP in a phone interview. “I have to continue to fight, not just for me, for anyone who were wrongfully accused … or any potential discrimination victims in the future. I will not give up until I find the justice.” On January 5, 2026, Deborah Frankel , Counsel at Bloch & White LLP, will provide an update on Angwang’s situation at the APA Justice monthly meeting. Read Angwang’s story at the APA Justice website: Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 NY Governor Signs “New York AANHPI Education Equity Act” On December 16, 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Legislation S7855E/A8463-E , known as the AANHPI Education Equity Act, a new law designed to assess and strengthen how Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history is taught in New York State schools. The legislation directs the Commissioner of Education to conduct a statewide survey examining how AANHPI history is currently incorporated into social studies curricula. The law also establishes an AANHPI History Advisory Committee to guide future curriculum development and ensure more inclusive and accurate instruction. Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of representation in education, stating: “AANHPI history is New York history, and our classrooms should reflect that fact. … This law ensures that students across the state will have the tools to understand and appreciate the impact of these communities on our nation.” The bill is part of the Governor’s broader initiative to strengthen inclusive history education, alongside instruction on African American, Indigenous, Jewish, and other historically underrepresented communities. Research cited by the administration underscores that comprehensive cultural history education promotes empathy, reduces bias, and fosters a stronger sense of belonging among students. State Senator John Liu , the bill’s Senate sponsor, described the law as a critical step toward long-overdue recognition: “This survey bill is not the endgame, but an important step … by measuring how AANHPI history is currently taught in classrooms, and how it is not.” Assemblymember Grace Lee , the Assembly sponsor, framed the legislation as foundational to telling a fuller national story: “The AANHPI Education Equity Act is about telling the complete American story. … This law affirms that our stories matter, that our children belong.” The law has drawn strong support from federal, state, and local leaders. U.S. Representative Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), noted: “For generations, AANHPI history has been poorly represented in our education system … It is critical for our next generation to understand that AANHPI history IS American history.” Education advocates also praised the measure. The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) called the act “a critical step forward” toward integrating culturally responsive curriculum statewide and ensuring that AANHPI students see their histories and experiences reflected in the classroom. In a press release , Stop AAPI Hate joined Asian American community leaders in celebrating the bill’s signing, marking the culmination of years of organizing and advocacy led by the R.E.A.C.H. Coalition in partnership with Senator Liu and Assemblymember Lee. Community-based organizations within the R.E.A.C.H. Coalition—including CACF, AAARI-CUNY, Caribbean Equality Project, JAHAJEE, KACE, OCA–New York, and Stop AAPI Hate—hailed the legislation as historic and long overdue. Advocates emphasized that the statewide survey will help expose longstanding gaps in curriculum, support culturally responsive teaching, combat ignorance and bias, and foster cross-racial understanding. They also stressed the law’s importance in ensuring that students from diverse and transnational backgrounds see their histories reflected throughout their K–12 education. With the enactment of the AANHPI Education Equity Act, New York takes a meaningful step toward a more inclusive, accurate, and representative education system—one that recognizes the essential role AANHPI communities have played, and continue to play, in shaping both the state and the nation. CDT Leads Coalition for Critical Surveillance Reforms As the April 20, 2026 expiration date for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaches, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is spearheading a bipartisan effort to protect Americans' privacy. On December 10, 2025, a coalition of over two dozen civil liberties organizations sent a formal letter to the House Judiciary Committee urging comprehensive reform before any reauthorization occurs. The coalition’s primary focus is on ending the "Backdoor Search Loophole," which currently allows government agencies to search through vast databases of communications without a warrant. Past misuses have reportedly targeted journalists, campaign donors, and even Members of Congress. To address these vulnerabilities, the coalition is calling for four essential reforms: · Establishing a Warrant Requirement : Mandating a probable cause warrant for U.S. person queries to end warrantless "backdoor" searches. · Closing the Data Broker Loophole : Preventing agencies from bypassing court oversight by simply purchasing sensitive personal data—such as location and browsing history—from commercial brokers. · Narrowing Provider Definitions : Reversing overbroad definitions that could force a wide range of businesses, including law firms and media offices, to assist in warrantless surveillance. · Empowering FISA Court Amici : Improving access for independent experts (amici) to ensure civil liberties are represented in secretive court proceedings. With the legislative clock ticking, these organizations are urging Congress to prioritize the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act and other measures to ensure that government surveillance remains targeted, transparent, and constitutionally sound. Read the CDT statement and coalition letter: https://bit.ly/4qGKXv5 WP : Federal Government Broken in 2025 In 2025, the federal government experienced one of the most sweeping and disruptive transformations in its modern history. During President Donald Trump ’s second term, a rapid series of executive actions and administrative changes fundamentally altered the size, structure, and culture of the federal workforce—an unprecedented dismantling of the civil service. According to an extensive Washington Post investigation, nearly 300,000 federal employees left government service within a single year through firings, forced resignations, early retirement incentives, and new personnel rules. This marked the largest workforce reduction in decades and resulted in the loss of vast institutional knowledge across federal agencies. At the center of the overhaul was a redefinition of how the civil service operates. Long-standing protections designed to ensure a professional, nonpartisan federal workforce were weakened or bypassed. New policies emphasized loyalty to presidential priorities, giving political leadership greater control over hiring, firing, and agency direction. A newly branded entity, the U.S. DOGE Service (Department of Government Efficiency), played a key role in driving these changes, framing them as efforts to eliminate waste and improve accountability. One of the most controversial initiatives was a “deferred resignation” program that offered employees continued pay and benefits if they voluntarily agreed to leave their positions. While the administration promoted the program as a humane and efficient off-ramp, unions and watchdog groups criticized it as coercive and costly, noting that thousands of workers were effectively paid not to work while agencies struggled to function. The human and operational impacts were immediate. Federal employees described an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear as remote work was abruptly curtailed, reporting requirements multiplied, and entire offices were reorganized or eliminated. Agencies responsible for scientific research, environmental protection, public health, and civil rights saw deep cuts or mission changes. In some cases, essential services slowed or broke down as staffing shortages collided with rising public needs. Beyond day-to-day disruptions, the long-term consequences may be more profound. Experts warn that the erosion of career expertise weakened the government’s capacity to respond to crises, enforce regulations, and provide consistent public services. Critics argue the changes amounted to an ideological purge that undermined the nonpartisan foundation of American governance. The Trump administration, however, defended the actions as fulfilling campaign promises to shrink government, cut inefficiency, and restore accountability to taxpayers. By the end of 2025, one thing was clear: the federal government that emerged bore little resemblance to the one that existed just a year earlier. Whether these changes will result in a leaner, more effective government—or leave lasting damage to public institutions—remains a central question for the years ahead. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/01/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2026/01/13 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao 2026/01/21 Perception and Reality: What U.S.–China Relations Mean for Chinese Americans Today 2026/01/28 Elliot L. Richardson Prize for Exceptional Public Service 2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations2026/02/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/02/11 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: BD Wong Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # 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 December 29, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter