On October 29, 2025, Florida governor Ron DeSantis lashed out at the practice of hiring H-1B high skilled workers in education institutions. According to him, the visa that brings thousands of highly qualified Indians to this country is being abused and universities are not producing enough qualified individuals to fulfil the needs of the nation.
Governor DeSantis directed the Florida Board of Governors “to crack down on H-1B Visa abuse in higher education,” a press release from his office said.
He also announced that Florida DOGE has partnered with Federal DOGE, the State University System, and institutional partners to cancel or repurpose millions of dollars in DEI-related grants.
“Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job,” he is quoted saying in the press release and in a post on X. “We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions. That’s why I have directed the Florida Board of Governors to end this practice.”
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Florida is requiring institutions to put American graduates first and ensure taxpayer-funded schools serve the American workforce, not to be used to import cheap foreign labor.
The Governor’s press release claims that H-1B visas “are allegedly intended to hire individuals for a specialty occupation, but many universities and institutions have hired foreign workers for jobs that could easily be filled by qualified Americans.”
The press release noted that Universities are exempt from federal H-1B caps, enabling year-round hiring of foreign labor. He also announced an end to Diversity Equity Inclusion initiatives.
“By working with Federal DOGE, the State University System, and individual institutions, Florida has also repurposed or canceled DEI-related grants that were made with total intended amounts of more than $33 million,” the press release said.
Several grants were cancelled due to their lack of compliance with state and federal law regarding DEI-centric, discriminatory missions, the Governor contended, citing the following examples to make the case:
- $1.5 million for “Challenging Anti-Black Racism in Civil and Environmental Engineering Curriculum,” a grant centered around environmental justice and equitable and inclusive curriculum for civil engineers.
- $1.3 million for “Mobilizing Physics Teachers to Promote Inclusive and Communal Classroom Cultures Through Everyday Actions,” a grant focused on inclusive and equitable practices for women and minority racial groups and promoting inclusion and equity in classrooms.
He also cited examples where his state had “repurposed” millions of dollars in previously DEI-centered grants to align with state and federal law, such as:
- $1.5 million grant previously focused on promoting “historically marginalized students” in STEM fields to focus on financial background, rather than race or ethnicity.
- Expanded a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant historically focused toward exclusively black students to include eligibility for all students, regardless of race or background.
Florida DOGE has also identified over $10.6 million in grants within the Florida College System to repurpose or cancel, the press release said, citing as examples, the following:
- $454,000 for a grant targeted toward “underrepresented populations” in drone work and avionics.
- $750,000 for a grant exclusively available for minorities pursuing STEM degrees.
In a post on X, DeSantis went on to say, “Florida leads the nation in higher education, and thousands of highly qualified Americans graduate from our colleges and universities every year. If any universities are truly struggling to find U.S. citizens to fill their job openings, they ought to evaluate their academic programs to determine why they cannot produce graduates who can be hired for these positions.”