Newsletter - #37 Letters To Biden And Raskin; GAO Report And Civil Rights Alert; And Lots More #37 Letters To Biden And Raskin; GAO Report And Civil Rights Alert; And Lots More Back View PDF January 7, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

July 6, 2020 On July 6, 2020, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a directive on student visas that would compel international students to leave the United States if their coursework were entirely online. Since the U.S. has so far failed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. schools are planning to offer classes entirely online this fall. In effect, the ICE directive will negatively impact hundreds of thousands of international students directly and various segments of the U.S. society indirectly. Reactions against the proposed rule were broad, swift and strong. A week after the announcement, a federal judge in Boston announced on July 14, 2020 that the Trump administration has rescinded its policy. However, there were still reports that the White House may focus on applying the rule to new students instead of existing students. On July 24, ICE introduced the new rule to new students. Previous Next New ICE Directive on Student Visas

Newsletter - #368 Gary Locke Honored by NAPA; William Tong Elected; APA History in CT; NAPABA Updates; + #368 Gary Locke Honored by NAPA; William Tong Elected; APA History in CT; NAPABA Updates; + In This Issue #368 · NAPA Honors Gary Locke for Excellence in Public Service · Connecticut AG William Tong Elected President of NAAG · Asian Pacific American History in Connecticut Schools · Update from NAPABA · News and Activities for the Communities NAPA Honors Gary Locke for Excellence in Public Service On December 10, 2025, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) announced that Secretary Janet L. Yellen , American Economist, former Treasury Secretary and former Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States, and Governor Gary F. Locke 骆家辉 , former U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Washington State Governor, will receive the Elliot L. Richardson Prize for Excellence in Public Service on January 28, 2026.The award ceremony will take place at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C, from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28 after a reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. Journalist Jenn White , host of NPR’s 1A program, will moderate a discussion with the two award recipients as part of the event.The Elliot L. Richardson Prize is presented on a biennial basis to individuals exemplifying the public service virtues demonstrated by the award’s namesake. The prize in the amount of $50,000 will be split between the two awardees. Consistent with the public-spiritedness of Elliot L. Richardson, recipients of the award are required to designate one or more charities to receive half the prize amount they are awarded. Elliot L. Richardson is considered to be one of the nation’s finest public servants. An Academy Fellow, he served in four Cabinet-level positions in the U.S. government: Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW); Secretary of Defense, Attorney General; and Secretary of Commerce under both Republican and Democratic Presidents. Richardson is remembered for his integrity and courage that saved the nation from a constitutional crisis during the “Saturday Night Massacre” incident during the Nixon administration.Gary F. Locke’s legacy has many dimensions reflecting his varied roles as a trailblazing politician, public servant, and a diplomat who has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, human services, and the environment.Locke served as the 10th United States Ambassador to China from 2011–2014, the 36th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2009–2011, and Washington State’s 21st Governor from 1997–2005. He was the first Chinese American elected governor in U.S. history, the first Asian American governor in the continental United States, and the first Chinese American Secretary of Commerce.As Governor, Locke earned national recognition for innovations in government efficiency, customer-focused service delivery, and priority-based budgeting. Under his leadership, Washington State was ranked among the nation’s best-managed states, with major initiatives delivered successfully and under budget. His work has been cited by leading scholars and institutions, including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.Locke later brought his pragmatic, cross-cultural leadership to diplomacy, strengthening U.S.–China engagement while advancing American economic and strategic interests. He currently serves as Chairman of Locke Global Strategies, advising clients on trade, regulatory, and investment matters, and as Chair of the Committee of 100 .Previous recipients of the Elliot L. Richardson Prize include Secretary Norman Mineta . NAPA is a Congressionally chartered, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that advances excellence in public administration through its research programs and its nearly 1,000 elected Fellows. Comparable in structure and mission to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), NAPA serves as a national resource for objective expertise on governance and public management.Read the NAPA press release: https://bit.ly/4rX1FaI . Register to attend the January 28 event in person or virtually: https://bit.ly/4iZPIgu . Connecticut AG William Tong Elected President of NAAG On December 12, 2025, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) elected Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong 湯偉麟 as President of the association during its annual Capital Forum, held December 8–10. Attorney General Tong succeeds New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella , who served as NAAG President in 2025.William Tong is the 25th Attorney General of Connecticut, first elected in 2018 and currently serving his second term. A national leader in high-impact litigation and investigations, Attorney General Tong has led bipartisan, multistate efforts to hold the addiction industry accountable for the opioid crisis, restore competition in the generic drug market, and protect consumers from data breaches and unfair practices. He has also prioritized reducing energy costs, expanding broadband access, and ensuring affordable healthcare.The son of immigrant small-business owners, Attorney General Tong brings a personal understanding of the challenges facing working families. He has worked to safeguard civil rights, defend Connecticut’s gun safety laws, and hold corporations accountable for climate-related deception. Before becoming Attorney General, Tong served 12 years in the Connecticut General Assembly and practiced law for nearly two decades. He is the first Asian American elected to statewide office in Connecticut and the first Chinese American elected Attorney General in the United States.During the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 5, 2025, Attorney General Tong reflected on the significance of his historic election, noting that its rarity underscores the continued underrepresentation of AAPI communities in political leadership. He spoke candidly about persistent xenophobia and racism, and about how Asian Americans—particularly East Asian Americans—are often perceived as perpetual foreigners who are quiet, passive, and unlikely to lead, contributing to the rise in anti-Asian hate. Tong argued that greater AAPI representation in positions of power would allow communities to prevent discrimination rather than merely react to it, and he strongly defended birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment as central to his own identity. Drawing on the long history of Chinese American contributions to the nation, he emphasized that AAPI stories are deeply American, concluding with a call for solidarity, collective voice, and mutual protection so that no one in the community faces discrimination alone. Read his remarks at the APA Justice monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/4oYIMSf Asian Pacific American History in Connecticut Schools According to AP News on December 12, 2025, three years after Connecticut mandated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in K–12 education, West Hartford Public Schools are rolling out a comprehensive, year-round curriculum that integrates AAPI history across most grade levels. Students will learn not only about familiar topics like Japanese American incarceration during World War II, but also lesser-known stories such as Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori , as well as immigration history, birthright citizenship cases like Wong Kim Ark ’s, and contemporary figures such as architect Maya Lin . Educators say the expanded curriculum addresses long-standing gaps that left many students feeling invisible and reflects the district’s diverse population. The effort is part of a broader national movement accelerated by the surge in anti-Asian hate during the pandemic, with roughly a dozen states now requiring AAPI history.At the same time, the push for inclusive education has exposed tensions within the AAPI community and across states, particularly where lawmakers resist teaching systemic racism or broader ethnic studies. While AAPI history mandates have sometimes gained bipartisan support, critics argue that similar openness has not been extended to Black, Latinx, or LGBTQ+ histories, raising concerns about sanitized or selective narratives. Educators in Connecticut emphasize that the goal is not ideological instruction but a “deeper, richer” understanding of American history—one that includes struggle, resilience, and achievement. District leaders plan to continue refining the curriculum, using literature and age-appropriate lessons to embed AAPI experiences into a balanced and inclusive view of the nation’s past. Update from NAPABA During the APA Justice monthly meeting on December 1, 2025, Edgar Chen 陳春品 , Special Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), provided an overview of NAPABA’s recent annual convention and the organization’s broader civil-rights–focused work. He began by thanking APA Justice for the opportunity to share updates and participate in discussion of Florida’s SB 264 during the Q&A.Edgar explained that NAPABA represents more than 80,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students across the United States, with additional Canadian affiliates. Each year, NAPABA convenes members in a different host city for its annual convention. The 2025 gathering took place in Denver, Colorado, and was NAPABA’s second-largest convention ever, with over 2,800 attendees. He noted that last year’s Seattle convention reached a record 3,400 attendees and featured Governor Gary Locke as an opening speaker.Edgar highlighted several elements of the Denver convention that intersect with current civil rights issues. Responding to earlier panel discussion about the federal Community Relations Service (CRS), he noted that CRS — often called “the nation’s peacemakers” — has historically had four directors of Asian American descent: Grand Lum , Rose Ochi , Justin Locke , and Julius Nam . Grand Lum participated in a Denver panel on alternative dispute resolution. Edgar also connected other speakers’ points to NAPABA’s recent work, noting, for example, that NAPABA included the Congressional Gold Medal for Chinese American WWII veterans as part of its 2018 lobby-day agenda.NAPABA’s continuing legal education offerings at the convention spanned more than 43 breakout sessions covering emerging and specialized practice areas, including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, healthcare law, tariffs, and even Asian American leadership in the outdoor and skiing industries — a nod to the Colorado setting. From this broad program, Edgar emphasized several civil rights sessions that were most relevant to the APA Justice audience. These included programming on birthright citizenship, such as a reenactment of the landmark Wong Kim Ark case; discussions about discrimination against Pacific Islander women; sessions addressing sexual violence; and a program on language access in the wake of the recent rescission of the Clinton-era executive order guaranteeing federal language-access services. The convention also explored book bans and the erosion of intersectional identities in public education and discourse.Edgar personally moderated a panel on immigration enforcement featuring Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He summarized the panel’s key conclusion: the central issue currently shaping immigration outcomes is “discretion,” particularly the growing use of negative discretion across U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other parts of the federal immigration system. He stressed that, beyond ICE, these shifts have implications for refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable communities — especially in the context of the recent shooting in Washington, D.C., which has further intensified national debate over immigration policy and public safety. The convention also featured a major plenary session with Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court and Ajay Mehrotra of the American Bar Foundation. They discussed the “Portrait Project,” a data-driven analysis of AANHPI representation in the legal profession and the barriers that impede career advancement. The research identifies three persistent barriers: lack of mentorship, limited networking infrastructure, and insufficient development of soft skills that are rarely taught in law school but crucial to professional success. Edgar emphasized that first-generation lawyers in particular face challenges in navigating these unwritten rules of the legal profession, and that part of NAPABA’s mission is helping to close these gaps.He also noted that NAPABA honored several Trailblazers this year, including Committee of 100 member Alan Tse and Rutgers Law Professor Rose Cuison-Villazor , both widely recognized for their leadership and contributions to civil rights and legal scholarship. The convention concluded with a gala featuring an in-depth conversation between actor Rich Ting and journalist Katie Fang — a session Edgar described as especially compelling.Looking ahead, Edgar announced that the next NAPABA convention will take place in Los Angeles, where attendance could reach 5,000 members. He invited APA Justice participants and interested community members to follow upcoming announcements about the 2026 program.A summary of the December 1 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. 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 Chiao2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations2026/02/02 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit 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 15, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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Programs and Initiatives Explore ways to get involved. Click on a program below to learn more about efforts to combat racial profiling and unfair government policies, or find them in the menu above. Advocacy Read More Advocacy for justice and fairness: our work with policy makers to push for AAPI rights and to ensure justice for AAPI academics and scientists. Community Networking Read More A network giving greater resources and a more assertive voice to the Asian American community. History & Education Read More Learn more about important historical events and cases involving Asian American people and culture. Yellow Whistle Campagn Read More Our partnership with the Yellow Whistle Project to promote self-protection and solidarity against discrimination and violence.

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

Newsletter - #234 Special Edition: Appeals Court Temporarily Halted Florida Alien Land Law (SB 264) #234 Special Edition: Appeals Court Temporarily Halted Florida Alien Land Law (SB 264) In This Issue #234 This is a Special Edition to cover the Appeals Court ruling to temporarily halt the enforcement of Florida's unconstitutional alien land law (SB 264) on February 1, 2024. On February 1, 2024, ACLU issued the following press release: "The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the enforcement of an unconstitutional Florida law, known as SB 264, against two Chinese immigrants who have challenged the statute in court. SB 264 bans many Chinese immigrants, including people here as professors, students, employees, and scientists, from buying a home in large swaths of the state. This decision comes after a Florida district court ruled against the plaintiffs’ motion to preliminarily block the law while the case proceeded."The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, DeHeng Law Offices PC, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the law firm Quinn Emanuel are representing Chinese immigrants who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida, but would be prohibited under SB 264 from buying a home, as well as Multi-Choice Realty, a local real estate firm whose business has been harmed by the law. "'As a Chinese citizen who was in the process of buying a home when this law went into effect, I’ve been extremely worried ever since,' said a plaintiff impacted by today’s ruling . 'Today’s decision is a relief for me and my family, and we hope that the courts will permanently halt enforcement of this law.' "The court of appeals unanimously held that the plaintiffs showed a substantial likelihood of prevailing in their arguments that SB 264 is preempted by federal law because Congress has already established a system of national security review of real estate purchases by foreign nationals. The court granted an injunction barring enforcement of the law against two of the plaintiffs while the court makes its decision on the merits of the appeal. "'There’s no doubt that Florida’s discriminatory housing law is unconstitutional,' said Ashley Gorski, senior staff attorney at ACLU’s National Security Project. ' The court’s decision brings two of our clients tremendous relief, and we will continue fighting to prevent this law from being enforced more broadly.' "Under SB 264, people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and whose 'domicile,' or permanent home, is in China, are prohibited from purchasing property in Florida altogether. The sole exception is incredibly narrow: People with non-tourist visas or who have been granted asylum may purchase one residential property under two acres that is not within five miles of any 'military installation.' This term is vaguely defined in the law, but there are at least 21 large military bases in Florida, many of them within five miles of cities like Orlando, Miami, and Tampa—putting many major residential and economically-important areas completely off-limits. "A similar but less restrictive rule also applies to many immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. But the law singles out people from China for especially draconian restrictions and harsher criminal penalties. "'Florida’s alien land law specifically targets Chinese individuals in clear violation of the Equal Protection Clause,' said Bethany Li, legal director of AALDEF . 'Today’s ruling should serve as a warning to other states who are considering passing similarly racist bills, steeped in a history when Asians were ineligible for citizenship and were told they didn’t belong. As a country, we should be making progress and passing laws that protect all communities rather than going back in time and reviving antiquated laws passed over a century ago.' "Florida’s pernicious new law recalls repeated efforts over the past century to weaponize false claims of 'national security' against Asian and other immigrants. In the early 20th century, politicians used similar justifications to pass ' alien land laws ' in California and more than a dozen other states, prohibiting Chinese and Japanese immigrants from becoming landowners. Florida was one of the last states to repeal its 'alien land law' in 2018. “'This Florida law is just like the alien land laws of more than a hundred years ago banning Asian Americans from owning land,' said Clay Zhu, attorney and managing partner at DeHeng Law Offices PC . 'It is unfair, unconstitutional, and un-American. We are encouraged by today’s decision from the court.'"Read the ACLU press release: https://bit.ly/3Utx0Ub“This prohibition blatantly violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection against discrimination,” Judge Nancy Abudu wrote. The Order of the Appeals Court is posted here: https://bit.ly/3HJij7T . The US District Court in Florida has scheduled hearings in Miami in April 2024. Media Reports · 2024/02/03 South China Morning Post: Florida law barring Chinese citizens from owning property in state blocked by US court · 2024/02/02 Politico: Federal appeals court narrowly blocks controversial Florida law barring Chinese land ownership · 2024/02/02 Reuters: US court blocks Florida law barring Chinese citizens from owning property · 2024/02/02 AsAmNews: Ban on Chinese land ownership in Florida blocked by federal court · 2024/02/02 The Capitolist: U.S. Appeals Court grants partial injunction against foreign land ownership limitations · 2024/02/02 Bloomberg Law: Florida Ban on Home Buying by Chinese, Other Nationals Halted · 2024/02/01 South Florida SunSentinel: Appeals court deals blow to Florida’s law on Chinese land ownership Legal Team to Give Briefing The legal team representing the Plaintiffs in the Florida lawsuit will give a briefing at the APA Justice monthly meeting on Monday, February 5, 2024. Confirmed speakers are: · Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House · Legal Team of ACLU, AALDEF, and DeHeng Law Offices PC · Nisha Ramachandran, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · Lora Lumpe, Chief Executive Officer, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft · Min Fan, Executive Director, US Heartland China Association (USHCA) · Sandy Shan, Executive Director, Justice is Global 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 CALDA Statement in Chinese The Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA 华美维权同盟) also released a statement in Chinese: 喜大普奔：上诉法院发布临时禁止令，SB 264被宣布部分无效！ . The statement noted that the three judges on the Appeals Court unanimously granted the restraining order. Liberal and conservative justices often disagree sharply in today's politically charged cases. That all three judges on the Appeals Court agreed unanimously in this politically controversial case once again proves that the plaintiffs are on the right side of justice.Read the CALDA statement in Chinese: https://bit.ly/3SoF1aj Timeline on the Florida Alien Land Law (SB 264) 2024/02/01 US Appeals Court temporarily halted the enforcement of SB 264 2023/08/21 Plaintiffs' legal team filed an appeal for preliminary injunction of SB 2642023/08/17 US District Court denied Plaintiffs' preliminary injunction motion2023/07/01 SB 264 became effective state law in Florida2023/06/26 US Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in support of preliminary injunction of SB 264 2023/05/22 A lawsuit was filed against SB 264 ( SHEN v. SIMPSON 4:23-cv-00208 ) 2023/05/08 SB 264 was passed by the Florida legislature and signed into state law by Governor Ron DeSantis Visit APA Justice for more information on "Alien Land Bills" in Florida, Texas, and other states: https://bit.ly/43epBcl . The Committee of 100 maintains a database and interactive data visualization to identify and track federal and state legislation prohibiting property ownership by citizens of foreign countries at https://bit.ly/3Hxta4B . Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Al Green (TX-09) , who are leaders of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, have introduced the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act in Congress. Back View PDF February 3, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #51 "Is This Patriot Enough?"; National Day Of Action And Healing; Upcoming Events #51 "Is This Patriot Enough?"; National Day Of Action And Healing; Upcoming Events Back View PDF March 29, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #367 C.A.C.A./AAJC Updates; Jane Wu; Mass Detention Policy; Rising Fear/Collapsing Courts;+ #367 C.A.C.A./AAJC Updates; Jane Wu; Mass Detention Policy; Rising Fear/Collapsing Courts;+ In This Issue #367 · Chinese American Citizens Alliance Since 1895 · Hearing on Estate of Dr. Jane Wu v Northwestern University Scheduled · Update from Advancing Justice | AAJC · Politico : Judges Reject Mass Detention Policy · Rising Fear, Collapsing Courts: Inside Today’s Immigration Crisis · News and Activities for the Communities Chinese American Citizens Alliance Since 1895 Kin Yan Hui was recently elected to be National President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.), He previously served as National Executive Vice President from 2023 to 2025 and as National Vice President for Membership from 2017 to 2023. He is also a Past President of the San Antonio Lodge.In his hometown of San Antonio, Kin serves as the Zoning Commissioner for the City of San Antonio’s District 6, representing 165,000 residents. He also sits on the Bexar County Civil Service Commission.A retired civil servant with over 35 years of service in the U.S. Department of the Air Force, Kin concluded his career in 2017 as Chief Engineer for four Air Force Cyber Weapon Systems. In that role, he led a team of more than 75 engineers and technical professionals developing and acquiring advanced cyber capabilities for the Air Force.Kin holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University, and was an Executive Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.In his remarks at the APA Justice monthly meeting on December 1, 2025, Kin offered a detailed overview of the organization’s 130-year history, its national footprint, and his vision for strengthening its role in the Chinese American community. Opening with characteristic humor—“As a good bureaucrat, I have to have PowerPoint slides, so please put up with that”—Kin set a collegial tone before walking the audience through C.A.C.A.’s mission: “to practice and defend Chinese American citizenship and to preserve our cultural and historical heritage, because without historical and cultural preservation, we are not a people.”Kin traced C.A.C.A.’s roots to 1895, when it was founded in San Francisco as the Native Sons of the Golden State. By 1915, it had reorganized under its current name and expanded nationally. He highlighted several moments of historic significance, including the organization’s advocacy for repealing the Chinese Exclusion Act, testimony before Congress in the 1940s, efforts that led to the War Brides Act and Chinese Alien Wives Act, and more recent achievements such as the 2012 Congressional Statement of Regret and the 2018 Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Chinese American World War II veterans. The medal project, Kin recalled, was a challenge—“It was during COVID, and we were having a very difficult time doing that”—but C.A.C.A. persisted and continues to locate families who were unaware of their eligibility.C.A.C.A. today includes 20 lodges and roughly 3,000 members, historically concentrated along the West Coast but growing rapidly in the South and Southwest. Kin emphasized that while the national board provides guidance and resources, “a lot of the work that’s being done is really at the lodge level.” His vision for the future focuses on restoring prominence, strengthening impact, and ensuring relevance nationwide. Conversations with community leaders, he noted, have helped sharpen that mission: “Not just for the C.A.C.A., but for the greater Chinese American community at large.”To support this vision, Kin outlined strategic goals: empowering lodges, improving messaging and partnerships, increasing membership, and defending birthright citizenship. Membership development will include a new pipeline, service recognition programs, and a youth advisory council—critical, he noted, because “we are all volunteers, with no paid staff, so we must appreciate every minute we get from volunteers.”On birthright citizenship, Kin recounted internal skepticism from some members who believed constitutional rights were secure. His response was grounded in risk management: “The risk may be low, but the severity is so high that we have to address it.” C.A.C.A. will establish a dedicated project team to prepare for and respond to potential policy threats.Kin concluded by reaffirming C.A.C.A.’s long-standing role and future direction: “I just want to introduce the organization…and give you a glimpse into what we are planning to do in the next two years.” He expressed gratitude for the chance to connect with allied organizations and strengthen shared commitments to civil rights, community empowerment, and cultural preservation.A summary of the APA Justice monthly meeting on December 1 is being prepared at this time. According to Reuters , the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide the legality of President Trump’s directive to limit birthright citizenship. The policy, issued by executive order in January 2025, seeks to end automatic citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment for children born in the United States to parents who are neither citizens nor permanent residents. Lower courts had blocked the order as likely unconstitutional, and a federal judge in New Hampshire certified a class action that prevented enforcement nationwide. On December 5, the Supreme Court granted review specifically in that class action case, setting the stage for oral arguments in the spring of 2026 and a likely decision by late June or early July. Hearing on Estate of Dr. Jane Wu v Northwestern University Scheduled The Cook County Circuit Court has scheduled a hearing for February 24, 2026, on the case of Estate of Dr. Jane Wu v Northwestern University (Case Number 2025L007963).According to the South China Morning Post , the family of Chinese American neuroscientist Dr. Jane Ying Wu (吴瑛) filed a civil lawsuit alleging Northwestern University discriminated against her during NIH- and China Initiative–related inquiries and that its actions contributed to her suicide in July 2024. The complaint claims the university marginalized Dr. Wu by shutting down portions of her lab, removing team members, restricting access to funding, and even having her taken to a psychiatric unit—despite the NIH ultimately clearing her. Northwestern denies the allegations and has moved to dismiss the case.Dr. Wu, a leading researcher on neurodegenerative diseases with more than $11 million in NIH funding, had her faculty webpages removed shortly after her death—an unusual step noted by colleagues. Her case echoes broader concerns surrounding NIH-backed foreign-interference investigations, which disproportionately affected Asian American scientists, many of whom suffered career damage without criminal charges.Read more about the story of Dr. Jane Wu: https://bit.ly/JaneWu Update from Advancing Justice | AAJC During the APA Justice monthly meeting on December 1, 2025, Joanna YangQing Derman , Director of Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program at Advancing Justice | AAJC, provided a policy update covering several key areas. She noted that AAJC continues to monitor developments related to the China Initiative and ongoing negotiations in the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations process, particularly with the extended January 30 deadline.On the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Joanna reported that both chambers have passed their versions of the bill and that AAJC has submitted its official letter to House and Senate Armed Services leadership. She highlighted the Rounds Amendment (No. 3810) as a major area of concern because it would broaden Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reviews of foreign purchases of certain agricultural lands. She emphasized that AAJC is in active discussions with Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and others on the Hill to ensure civil rights safeguards are reflected in the final bill.Joanna also addressed Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s recent proclamation labeling The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a “foreign terrorist organization” and “transnational criminal organization.” She stressed that AAJC views this as “an attempt to weaponize state power against a religious minority” and is working with interfaith and civil rights partners to oppose discriminatory actions. She noted that CAIR has already filed a federal lawsuit in response.She closed by expressing AAJC’s appreciation for the APA Justice community and said the organization looks forward to sharing a full 2025 wrap-up in the new year. Politico : Judges Reject Mass Detention Policy According to Politico on November 28, 2025, federal judges nationwide are overwhelmingly rejecting the Trump administration’s new mass-detention policy, which mandates that nearly all immigrants in deportation proceedings be held without any opportunity to seek release. Since ICE abruptly implemented the policy on July 8, more than 225 judges in over 700 cases—across 35 states—have found the approach likely unlawful and a violation of due process. Notably, 23 Trump-appointed judges have ruled against the administration. Only eight judges have sided with the government.Courts have been flooded with emergency petitions from immigrants suddenly detained at workplaces, courthouses, or routine check-ins—many long-time residents with families, jobs, and pending legal claims. Judges have described the administration’s interpretation as extreme, illogical, and contrary to decades of precedent, warning that if upheld, the policy could subject millions of long-term residents to mandatory detention. Several courts have publicly noted the near-total consistency of rulings against the administration.Momentum is now building toward nationwide relief. Judges in Massachusetts and Colorado have certified class-action challenges, and a federal judge in California has approved a nationwide class that could require ICE to provide bond hearings to those covered by the new rules. Appeals courts have begun reviewing the issue, even as the administration pushes for rapid consideration in some circuits and delays in others. DHS continues to defend the policy as faithful to statutory text, blaming prior administrations for what it calls overly permissive practices.The dispute centers on two long-standing immigration provisions historically applied only to recent arrivals. For decades, long-term residents in deportation proceedings were eligible to seek bond before an immigration judge. The Trump administration upended that framework by redefining these residents as still “seeking admission,” stripping judges of authority to grant release. With the Board of Immigration Appeals now endorsing this view, federal courts have become the only avenue for relief—driving the nationwide wave of rulings rejecting the policy.Read the Politico report at https://politi.co/4q1yCRR . Rising Fear, Collapsing Courts: Inside Today’s Immigration Crisis In an opinion published by AsAmNews on November 25, 2025, Lily Chen , a first-generation immigrant who came to the U.S. 37 years ago, describes a growing sense of fear spreading through Chinese immigrant communities as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests surge. She writes that friends now warn one another: “Be careful, know your rights, bring your IDs,” prompting her to carry her passport everywhere—not for travel, but out of fear. She notes that these anxieties are shared mostly within “Virtual Chinatown” WeChat groups, where “99% of immigrant Chinese Americans source their information.”Despite her professional roles as a public health nurse educator and film producer, Chen says this is the first time in nearly four decades that she feels “unsafe, worried, and angry all at the same time.” Her fear is deeply personal, recalling watching her father being handcuffed in China even though “He did not commit any crimes and was simply doing his job.” She connects that memory with new UCLA data showing arrests of Asian immigrants nearly tripled in early 2025—from under 700 in 2024 to almost 2,000 between February and May.As ICE operations expand into her own neighborhood in Cary, North Carolina—where she recently saw messages warning, “ICE is currently at a crossroads, Cary. Here is what you need to do today…”—Chen questions how long immigrants must live with this fear. She concludes by asserting her responsibility to speak out, emphasizing that “The immigrant story IS the American story.”According to Border Report on November 24, 2025, a new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) brief warns that migrant communities are experiencing unprecedented fear and instability under the Trump administration, as immigration courts collapse under record backlogs. Enforcement spending has surged while funding for courts and legal aid remains minimal, leaving asylum seekers waiting up to four years for hearings and increasingly too afraid to appear because ICE now arrests people at courthouses and check-ins. MPI reports a backlog of 3.8 million cases—two-thirds involving asylum—compounded by Congress capping the number of immigration judges at 800 and the administration firing or pushing out at least 139 judges. The brief recommends shifting resources from enforcement to adjudication, allowing asylum officers to handle new asylum claims, prioritizing serious cases, expanding technology, and increasing legal representation.Former immigration judge Kyra Lilien described an atmosphere of fear and chaos before her unexplained firing in July. She recounted 50–60-person hearings, migrants fainting as relatives were detained, ICE officers in tactical gear hiding in stairwells, and protesters clashing with ICE outside the courthouse. Detentions in and around courts caused appearance rates to plummet from 85% to 30%. Judge Lilien criticized the structural flaw that immigration courts are housed within the Department of Justice—placing judges and prosecutors under the same authority—and endorsed MPI’s call for institutional reform and greater resources. Advocates in Texas echoed concerns about escalating arrests, family separations, and the growing difficulty of providing legal representation amid expanding detention.On December 1, 2025, Bloomberg Law reported that former immigration judge Tania Nemer has filed what appears to be the first federal lawsuit by an immigration judge against the Trump administration ( Nemer v. Bondi (1:25-cv-04170) , alleging she was unlawfully fired from the Cleveland immigration court. Judge Nemer—a Lebanese American woman who was still in her two-year probationary period—claims the Justice Department discriminated against her based on sex and national origin, noting that two male, non-Lebanese probationary judges were retained. She also alleges retaliation for her prior run for local office on a Democratic Party ticket, asserting a violation of her First Amendment rights.Since early December, the immigration system has come under even greater strain: · New York immigration courts suffered another wave of judge firings, with at least eight judges terminated in one week, according to ABC News . Some courts have lost more than 25% of their judges—deepening delays and weakening due process for asylum seekers. · According to the Los Angeles Times , immigrants who have won their cases or received court orders for release are still being held in detention, as ICE continues to pursue aggressive deportations even after legal victories—raising constitutional and separation-of-powers concerns. · A UCLA School Climate Survey reported by The Guardian finds immigration raids are creating a “culture of fear” among students. Over 70% of high school principals observed increased bullying, absenteeism, and trauma among immigrant and Asian American students tied to enforcement operations. · A December 11 Reuters investigation revealed ICE has begun using family separation threats, prolonged detention, and criminal prosecution to pressure migrants into accepting deportation, prompting legal advocates to warn that due-process protections are being eroded in unprecedented ways. Together, these developments underscore a rapidly intensifying immigration crisis: rising community fear, collapsing courts, unprecedented enforcement pressure, and a growing sense that long-standing norms of fairness and due process are breaking down. 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 2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations2026/02/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 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 12, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Warrantless Surveillance The domestic surveillance over American citizens for whom there is no evidence or proof that they are involved in any illegal activity. THE NUMBERS Pending cases 5 Failure-to-disclose cases 91% Days of the China Initiative 1210 Recent developments 54 scientists lose their jobs from NIH probe into foreign ties This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. Professor Xiaoxing Xi Receives Andrei Sakharov Prize This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. Top Scientific Organizations Call for Fairer Treatment of Foreign-born Scientists This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. Activists Including APA Justice Resist New "Red Scare" This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. More News The U.S. Constitution protects its people against unreasonable searches and seizures. 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 that have nothing to do with national security. Given our nation’s history of abusing its surveillance authorities and the secrecy surrounding the program, we should be concerned that Section 702 is and will be used to disproportionately target disfavored groups - whether minority communities, political activists, or even journalists. Learn more about FISA The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Growing out of the Watergate scandal when federal resources were used to spy on domestic political and activist groups, The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. As its title suggests, the law was created to “provide judicial and congressional oversight of the government’s covert surveillance activities of foreign entities and individuals in the U.S., while maintaining the secrecy needed to protect national security.” 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 are disproportionately impacted. FISA Amendments Act of 2008 The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 was enacted in 2008. It added a new Title VII to FISA, authorizing targeting of non-U.S. persons outside the U.S.. Section 702 spells out additional limitations to such surveillance. It was specifically stated that the surveillance must be conducted in a manner consistent with the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution . Reauthorization of FISA Amendments Act in 2012 and 2017 President Barack Obama reauthorized the FISA Amendments Act in 2012 for five years before Edward Snowden made astonishing disclosures in 2013 about how the government manipulates its power to conduct secret, warrantless mass surveillance programs on U.S. persons in violation of their constitutional rights. Some of the subsequently known problems such as “about communications,” “backdoor searches,” “parallel construction” and “reverse target” are described in the blog titled “One Asian American’s Perspective on the FISA Amendments Act and Section 702. ” President Trump signed the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 into law. The current authorization will expire on December 31, 2023. Asian Americans Disproportionately Impacted No person of Chinese origin was known to be part of the 9/11 or other terrorist attacks. Section 702 has always been claimed to be a vital tool to combat terrorism since 2008. However, soon after Section 702 became law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) declared that economic espionage is a major security threat to the U.S. and started publicity campaigns with China as the major culprit. 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 an explanation, much less an apology, from the government. Despite the heroic efforts of individuals to defend themselves against all odds, they and their families have already suffered devastating damages in legal expense, emotional trauma, and overall reputation. During the last reauthorization cycle in 2017, APA Justice set up a website APA FISA Watch to track the actions undertaken by the APA Justice Task Force and concerned organizations. Serious Constitutional Issues When the FISA Amendments Act was last 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. With what little that has been made public, we know that protection for privacy and civil liberty has been grossly inadequate under FISA and its amendments. The government must not continue to use innocent, law-abiding Asian Americans as “collateral damage ,” convenient scapegoats, or targets of racial profiling without accountability. “Traditional” FISA, which requires lengthy applications to the secret FISA court, was used in fewer than 500 cases last year. Section 702, which doesn’t require individual court orders, can cover orders of magnitude more targets: more than 230,000 in 2021. The ACLU represents Xiaoxing Xi, a Chinese-American physics professor at Temple University, who is suing the government over its dismissed prosecution of him for supposedly sharing sensitive technology with scientists in China. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, challenges the FBI’s baseless arrest of Xi and its surveillance methods as well as its discriminatory targeting of Chinese-American scientists. Learn more Xi v. United States A Warrantless Surveillance Court Battle FOIA Request 245561 to the NIH Days Since FOIA Request Submitted 738 foia2nih_20210802.pdf Download FOIA Request APA Justice submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records pertaining to the effort by the National Instututes of Health (NIH) to investigate over 500 U.S.-based scientists and researchers believed to have connections to China. The filing date of record is August 9, 2021. The assigned tracking number is 245561. The request covers the following records created on or after January 2011: Records containing statistics or data concerning the race, ethnicity, or national origin of scientists who have been “flagged,” subject to scrutiny, or investigated for their purported foreign ties, or records sufficient to show this information. Records containing statistics or data concerning the number of scientists in each of the following categories who have been “flagged,” subject to scrutiny, or investigated as the result of (a) NIH cooperation with law enforcement agencies; (b) anonymous complaints; and (c) stewardship of NIH program staff, or records sufficient to show this information. Records containing statistics or data concerning the race, ethnicity, or national origin of scientists in each of the following categories who have been “flagged,” subject to scrutiny, or investigated as the result of (a) NIH cooperation with law enforcement agencies; (b) anonymous complaints; and (c) stewardship of NIH program staff, or records sufficient to show this information. Records describing the methods by which individuals subject to NIH scrutiny or investigation were identified for investigation, including but not limited to NIH cooperation with law enforcement agencies, anonymous complaints, and stewardship of NIH program staff. We thank Yale University student Alex Liang for his research and preparation of this FOIA request. NIH Denial and Follow-up Appeal 202302228_ncca_statement_of_condemn_lance_gooden_20232028_final.pdf 2022/05/13 NIH: FOIA Case Number: 56843 2022/05/31 APA Justice: Appeal of FOIA Case Number 56843

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has protested the politicization and cancellation of an NIH research grant. April 6, 2020 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is an international nonprofit scientific and educational organization. With over 11,000 members, made up of students, researchers, educators and industry professionals, the ASBMB is one of the largest molecular life science societies in the world. Founded in 1906, the ASBMB’s mission is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology and to promote the understanding of the molecular nature of life processes. On April 6, 2020, ASBMB issued a position statement on Foreign Influences to Research Integrity . "While ASBMB recognizes the substantial efforts undertaken by federal funding agencies, universities and research institutions to address the issue of foreign influence to research integrity, ... We must strike a balance between protecting research, while continuing to promote international collaboration. " the statement says. "Of particular concern regarding federal agency responses is the lack of guidance and transparency from the NIH. Since instances of foreign influence have come to light in 2018, the NIH has initiated thousands of investigations on scientists who they suspect of intellectual property theft, conflicts of interest, or peer review violations. While some incidents of research violation or intellectual property have been publicized, the NIH has not been transparent with the scientific community about internal changes to their review or oversight process. In addition to the lack of transparency, there have been numerous cases of scientists being wrongfully accused of espionage or intellectual property theft. Fear within the scientific community of being targeted as a result of race or identify has proliferated. The NIH must be transparent about their actions and processes and offer guidelines to the scientific community to appease these fears. " ASBMB has taken further actions to protest the politicization and cancellation of the NIH research grant to the EcoHealth Alliance. See more at NIH Grant Politicized . At the end of August 2020, several media reported a new grant was awarded although there were questions on the conditions possibly imposed in the new grant. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has protested the politicization and cancellation of an NIH research grant. Previous Next ASBMB Protests Racially Motivated Cancellation of Research Grant

Newsletter - #131 Toby on AAU; Senate Targets Faculty Foreign Gift; Labs PostDoc Shortage; Twitter #131 Toby on AAU; Senate Targets Faculty Foreign Gift; Labs PostDoc Shortage; Twitter Back View PDF June 29, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter