Watch as Iowans rally against H‑1B hiring limits at state universities
Iowans rally against HF 2513, a bill prohibiting state universities from hiring H-1B visa holders from countries flagged as foreign adversaries.
- A proposed Iowa bill would prohibit public universities from hiring visa holders from certain countries.
- Opponents argue the bill would drive away global talent and harm Iowa’s university system.
- Proponents of the bill cite national security and the protection of sensitive research as reasons for the restrictions.
Many wore hats and sunglasses and some brought umbrellas to shade themselves from the hot sun as they rallied at the Iowa Capitol in opposition to a bill that would prohibit the hiring of certain visa holders at Iowa’s public universities.
The group of about 150 marched in a circle with signs that read “International scholars build Iowa too,” “Education not discrimination,” and “Strong universities, strong Iowa.”
Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa, as well as community colleges, would not be able to hire citizens from countries that are designated as foreign adversaries or state sponsors of terrorism under House File 2513. The House passed the bill on March 3 with a 68-27 vote. A Senate subcommittee recommends the bill’s passage.
Faculty members of Iowa State University and the University of Iowa spoke to the crowd at the rally Saturday, March 21 about their experiences as H-1B visa holders and how the bill would affect the university system and Iowa.
Hongwei Zhang, a computer engineering professor at Iowa State since 2017, said in an interview that “by this bill, H-1B visa holders may lose their rights to stay in Iowa. Essentially, families will potentially, starting July 1, have to move out of the state.”
Zengyi Shao, a chemical engineering professor at Iowa State, became a H-1B visa holder after completing her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2009 and later became a U.S. citizen. The process took 17 years, she said, and “many people of Chinese origin who now work in universities and community colleges have followed this same path.”
“If this bill had been in place years ago, I would not have been able to come to Iowa and serve as an educator,” she said to the crowd. Shao has been teaching at Iowa State since 2013.
More: Which bills in the Iowa Legislature lived and died after 2nd funnel?
American flags were flown during the rally, organized by the Chinese Association of Iowa, United Chinese Americans, the Iowa City Area Chinese Association, the Chinese Faculty and Staff of Central Iowa Association, and Iowans for Brighter Future.
“What worries me is it will also push those who are already here, not including many current or even previous H-1B visa holders, to live in other states that are more welcoming,” Shao said. “So if this happens, basically the spirit of Iowa nice will likely become a thing of the past.”
Jie Lie, a researcher at Iowa State University who has lived in Iowa since 2009 and worked at the university since 2011, said the H-1B visa is a “pipeline of global talents for the United States.”
“It’s just trying to put Iowa in a very bad place,” Lie said of the bill.
What is House File 2513? What would it do if passed?
An H-1B visa allows “non-immigrant alien workers” to be hired for “specialty occupations or as fashion models,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A “specialty occupation” requires specialized knowledge and a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree, helping employers hire qualified candidates who cannot fulfill the needed skills and abilities of the U.S. workforce.
Having an H-1B visa allows for the temporary employment of qualified candidates who may not otherwise be authorized to work in the United States.
Under HF 2513, even those who hold a valid H-1B visa would be prohibited from entering into an employment contract if they come from countries identified as foreign adversaries or as state sponsors of terrorism, including China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Russia and Venezuela. If passed, it would take effect July 1.
During floor debate, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, said that “our universities are for Americans and Americans first.”
“This bill enhances national security and protects sensitive research at Iowa’s public universities by preventing potential risks from espionage or intellectual property theft associated with hires from adversarial nations such as China, aligning with broader U.S. concerns over foreign influence in academia while prioritizing American or allied talent,” Wheeler said.
There are about 120 employees through the H-1B visa program at Iowa’s state universities, according to the Iowa Board of Regents.
“If this bill passes, our jobs are gone,” said Emily Gao, an assistant teaching professor of architecture at Iowa State and an H-1B visa holder.
Iowa would join Texas, Florida in H-1B hiring halt
Iowa isn’t the first state to eye restrictions on hiring employees through the H-1B visa program.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Jan. 27 called for the freeze of new H-1B petitions at all Texas state agencies and universities, as well as a review of the current H-1B visa program “abuse.”
The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s university system, approved a one-year ban on hiring through the H-1B visa program on March 2.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a social media post in October universities across the nation are “importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job.”
More: Trump’s new H-1B visa restrictions create chaos for white-collar immigrants
Iowa’s restrictions on H-1B visa hiring would follow President Donald Trump’s restrictions on the visa holders, unveiled in September, that decried the “large-scale replacement of American workers” and “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program and lamented the growth in the foreign share of the workforce in computer and math occupations.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch contributed to this report.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
