Dear Erica,
Hello from Washington, D.C., where our sub-freezing temps have kept us in snow and ice and the government is again facing another shutdown deadline at midnight tonight. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—part of the package under consideration—has been the subject of much debate in light of the tragic deaths in Minneapolis. Senate Democrats are demanding new restrictions and accountability measures.
As of this writing, it appears a deal has been struck that separates DHS funding from the package and provides a stopgap measure that will fund DHS for two weeks while negotiations continue. This appears to clear a path for a vote on the remaining five bills needed to fully fund the government; all 100 senators need to agree, however, which is not the case as of this writing. If the Senate can agree, any changes to the package require that it go back to the House for a vote, and with the House out on recess until Monday, a short-term shutdown is very likely.
Meanwhile, our thoughts remain with our community members in Minnesota where tensions are high. This Chronicle of Higher Education piece captures the fear on campuses there. Recall NAFSA has compiled some resources to help institutions respond to this wave of immigration enforcement.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced a freeze on H-1B hires at public universities and state agencies through the end of the 2027 legislative session while a review is undertaken. As NAFSA executive director and CEO said in a University World News story, erecting more barriers to recruiting the world’s top talent will only hurt the economy and global competitiveness of Texas and the entire United States. In a social media post, a California computer science professor highlighted the vast contributions made by a small sample of the international faculty at University of Texas, Austin, adding “American universities are the highest quality in the world, in part because we are able to recruit the most capable faculty in the world.” We agree.
Florida and Missouri have also proposed limiting the use of the H-1B category for employees of public colleges and universities with a rule expected in Florida soon that would forbid the use of H-1Bs until January 2027. As Karin Fischer noted, Florida colleges currently employ more than 600 people on the work visa. Visit NAFSA’s website for more information on state-level challenges to the use of H-1B.
Recent reporting by Bloomberg observes that H-1B visa changes made by this administration may have a large impact on the career paths of Indian-born tech workers, as India ramps up its efforts to attract and retain them.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you are represented by a U.S. House member that has publicly defended Optional Practical Training in the past, urge them to be a vocal supporter of OPT with this current administration. They are: Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Rep. Kelly Trent (MS-01), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02).
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Thank you as always.
Best,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
