Governor Ron DeSantis today directed the Florida Board of Governors to implement measures cracking down on the alleged abuse of H-1B visas within the state’s public higher education system.
The Governor simultaneously announced that the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (Florida DOGE), in collaboration with Federal DOGE and institutional partners, has canceled or repurposed grants totaling over $33 million that were previously earmarked for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-related programs.
DeSantis criticized universities nationwide, stating they are “importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job.”
DeSantis said the practice would not be tolerated in Florida, emphasizing his directive to the Florida Board of Governors to end it immediately.
The move is intended to ensure that taxpayer-funded schools prioritize American graduates and serve the American workforce, rather than being used to “import cheap foreign labor.”
The administration noted that universities are exempt from federal H-1B caps, enabling year-round hiring of foreign labor for jobs that qualified Americans could reportedly fill.
The second part of the announcement focused on reallocating funds away from DEI-centric programs. Florida DOGE confirmed that by working with the State University System and individual institutions, more than $33 million in DEI-related grants have been repurposed or canceled.
Several grants were terminated due to noncompliance with state and federal laws regarding the state’s determination that the missions were discriminatory and DEI-centric.
For instance, grants canceled included $1.5 million for a project on “Challenging Anti-Black Racism in Civil and Environmental Engineering Curriculum” and $1.3 million for a grant promoting “inclusive and communal classroom cultures” for women and minority racial groups in physics.
The state also detailed the repurposing of millions of dollars in grants to align with state law and better represent an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. One example cited was a $1.5 million grant that had previously focused on promoting “historically marginalized students” in STEM fields; it was redirected to use financial background as the eligibility criterion, removing consideration of race or ethnicity.
Additionally, a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant that had historically been exclusively for Black students was expanded to include eligibility for all students, regardless of their race or background.
Florida DOGE also identified over $10.6 million in grants within the Florida College System that are slated for repurposing or cancellation. These examples include grants totaling $454,000 targeted toward “underrepresented populations” in drone work and avionics, and a $750,000 grant exclusively available to minorities pursuing STEM degrees.
The overall directive and announcement underscore the state’s commitment to eliminating what the Governor refers to as “woke funding” and ensuring that hiring practices within state-funded institutions favor American workers.
READ: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Warns Fed Chair: Don’t ‘Add To Your Growing List Of Failures’
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