Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance

08/30/2026

On August 26, Representatives Grace Meng, Ted Lieu, and Judy Chu condemned recent comments on a political podcast suggesting that Chinese Americans should be placed in incarceration camps during a hypothetical war with China.

The lawmakers warned that such rhetoric revives the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype—questioning the loyalty of Chinese Americans simply because of their ancestry—and can contribute to discrimination and violence.

History shows where this kind of thinking can lead. During World War II, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated in the United States, most of them U.S. citizens. That history should not be repeated.

The United States can address genuine national-security threats without treating Americans as potential enemies because of their race or ancestry. Chinese Americans should be judged by their individual conduct, not stereotypes about loyalty or foreignness.

Further reading:
https://capac.house.gov/press-release/chinese-american-members-congress-condemn-maga-podcast-advocating-chinese-The Asian American Foundation
https://asamnews.com/2026/08/26/right-wing-podcaster-calls-to-incarcerate-chinese-americans/

Remarks on a pro‑Trump podcast arguing that Chinese Americans should be sent to incarceration camps during a hypothetical conflict with China condemned.

08/27/2026

As of August 13, 2026, 26 states had passed 63 bills restricting foreign property ownership, while Congress was considering 32 related bills. Since 2021, 543 such bills have been introduced at the state and federal levels, including 340 with provisions restricting Chinese citizens from owning some form of property.

CALDA has been actively challenging these restrictions through litigation, including the lawsuit against Florida’s SB 264 filed in 2023 and the ongoing challenge to Texas SB 17 filed in 2025.

National security and sensitive infrastructure are legitimate government concerns. But restrictions that reach ordinary individuals primarily because of their nationality raise serious concerns about equal protection and basic property rights.

Learn more:
https://www.committee100.org/our-work/federal-and-state-bills-prohibiting-property-ownership-by-foreign-individuals-and-entities/

08/25/2026

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $103,265 fee for new H-1B visa applications, reviving a policy that was blocked by a federal court earlier this year.

H-1B visas are widely used in technology, research, higher education, and other highly skilled fields. The administration says the higher fee would protect U.S. workers and prevent abuse of the program. Critics argue it could make it much harder for employers, universities, and research institutions to recruit international talent.

Immigration rules can protect American workers while still providing a fair and workable path for highly skilled immigrants who study, research, and build their careers in the United States.

Further reading:

https://internationalcenter.umich.edu/about/news/100000-h-1b-fee-invalidated

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-administration-moves-impose-more-than-100000-fee-h-1b-worker-visas-2026-08-24/

The fee, first temporarily imposed by Trump last year, dramatically raises the cost of visas that are heavily relied on in the tech, education and research sectors.

08/24/2026

The FBI recently released its 2025 hate crime statistics. Reported hate crimes declined nationwide, including those targeting Asian Americans. But the numbers remain well above pre-pandemic levels, and many incidents may never be reported.

AAJC notes that fear of retaliation, distrust of authorities, language barriers, and immigration concerns can discourage victims from reporting hate incidents. A recent national survey also found that nearly half of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults experienced a hate act in 2025.

Fewer reported cases is encouraging, but anti-Asian bias has not gone away. As debates over immigration and national security continue, Asian Americans should not be treated as foreign or viewed with suspicion because of their race, ancestry, or perceived ties to another country.

Further reading:
https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/press-release/fbi-hate-crime-data-reveals-persistent-threats-asian-americans-amid-escalating-anti
https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2025-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics

Data reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows 2024 to 2025 marked the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since FBI estimations began in 1936.

08/20/2026

On August 18, unions and advocacy groups filed a lawsuit challenging a new visa rule that would replace the long-standing “duration of status” system for F, J, and I visa holders with fixed admission periods.

Under the new framework, international students and exchange visitors would generally face a maximum four-year admission period before requesting an extension. Foreign journalists would also face new time limits, including a shorter 90-day period for those traveling on PRC passports.

The government says the changes are intended to strengthen oversight and visa compliance. The groups challenging the rule argue that it could create uncertainty and additional burdens for lawful visa holders, universities, and media organizations.

Strong immigration enforcement and national security protections can coexist with fair, individualized review based on evidence and individual circumstances, not assumptions tied to nationality.

Further reading:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/unions-advocacy-groups-sue-overturn-us-visa-rule-foreign-students-journalists-2026-08-18/

A coalition of unions and advocacy ​groups sued the federal government on Tuesday seeking to block a rule ‌that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the U.S. without applying for extensions.

08/13/2026

Professor Franklin Tao was the first university professor prosecuted under the Justice Department’s former China Initiative. The investigation initially focused on suspected espionage, but no espionage charges were ultimately brought. In 2024, a federal appeals court overturned his remaining conviction.

Professor Tao has been pursuing claims against the University of Kansas over his termination and its refusal to reinstate him. The litigation remains active.

CALDA has supported Professor Tao in this litigation. His case highlights how the consequences of a national security investigation can continue long after the criminal case ends, with lasting damage to careers and reputations.

National security investigations should be based on evidence and individual conduct, not race, nationality, or connections to China.

Further reading:
https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-professor-falsely-accused-of-espionage-wants-university-to-pay-for-firing-harm-to-reputation/

An anonymous tip accusing a Chinese-American chemist and researcher of espionage spurred the University of Kansas into action, notifying the U.S. Department of Justice and building a case against its own employee, Feng “Franklin” Tao said in a lawsuit.

08/11/2026

The State Department announced on August 10 that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas since the current administration took office. According to the Department, most involved criminal activity; others involved visa violations, fraud, or national security concerns.

Visa enforcement should be based on evidence and individual conduct. As social media screening and scrutiny of international students expand, transparency and fair review are essential.

International students, including Chinese students, have faced expanded social media screening and heightened scrutiny based on security concerns. Visa decisions should not be based on nationality, ethnicity, academic field, political expression alone, or assumptions about ties to China.

National security and civil rights are not competing goals.

Read more:

Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-administration-has-revoked-more-than-175000-visas-state-department-says-2026-08-10/

TIME:
https://time.com/article/2026/08/10/trump-state-department-visa-revocations/

Here's who's included in the crackdown

08/10/2026

On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court held that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Just weeks later, President Trump signed two executive orders. One identifies additional categories of U.S.-born children that the administration says do not qualify for citizenship at birth. The other targets “birth tourism” through visa and immigration enforcement.

The government may enforce visa laws and investigate fraud, but it must do so within the limits of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Court’s ruling.

White House executive orders:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/continuing-to-protect-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/ending-birth-tourism/

Further reading:

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trumps-new-attack-birthright-citizenship-faces-uphill-legal-battle-2026-08-07/

https://apnews.com/article/07cf9d5f493e57d6fc652bf6f17edd92

The Trump administration has announced renewed efforts to limit birthright citizenship for children born to immigrant parents under specific circumstances and children who are the result of “birth tourism.”

07/29/2026

A new report describes Chinese families enrolling U.S.-bound students in intensive safety courses that simulate encounters with immigration officers, scams, kidnappings, and hate incidents. The courses reflect growing anxiety about whether Chinese students will be safe and welcome in the United States.

That anxiety does not arise in isolation. Chinese students and scholars have faced expanding national security investigations and public proposals that treat nationality itself as a reason for suspicion.

When students feel they must prepare for possible detention or racial hostility before arriving on campus, fear can discourage academic exchange, weaken trust in American institutions, and reinforce the perception that they are viewed first as potential threats rather than as members of university communities.

Further reading:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3361878/fake-ice-raids-and-kidnapping-drills-how-chinese-teens-prepare-us-college

As Trump’s toughening rules spark anxiety, Chinese parents pay for camps teaching how to survive being seized by gunmen or ‘hidden dangers’.

07/28/2026

New data from the Association of American Universities show that Ph.D. admissions at major U.S. research universities fell 15% for fall 2026, while international Ph.D. admissions declined 21%.

A recent Science editorial connects these trends to immigration restrictions, uncertainty in research funding, and changes in federal science policy.

For Chinese students and scholars, these developments come amid increased visa scrutiny, tighter research-related rules, and national security narratives that can sometimes blur the line between legitimate security concerns and assumptions based on nationality.

International students have long contributed to U.S. research and innovation. National security concerns should be addressed through evidence and individualized review—not assumptions about entire groups.

Further reading:

Science:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aek7500

Association of American Universities:
https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/leading-research-universities-report/new-phd-admissions-data-show-threat-us-stem-workforce

A decades-old partnership between federal research agencies and research universities has helped sustain doctoral education in the United States – but new data show that universities are cutting back on admitting new PhD students as they face an increasingly unstable federal research funding lands...