Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond

New College of Florida’s recent firing of a Chinese professor under a contentious state law has drawn national attention and raised fresh concerns about academic freedom, xenophobia and the direction of higher education in Florida.

Professor Kevin Wang, a Chinese asylum seeker with work authorization in the United States, was abruptly dismissed last month under a 2023 state law known as SB 846 that restricts Florida’s public colleges and universities from hiring staff from China and other nations labeled “countries of concern.”

According to civil rights advocates and scholars, this appears to be the first time an asylum seeker has been removed from their position under the law.

The firing comes amid heightened U.S.–China tensions and growing scrutiny of Chinese nationals in American academic institutions.

But for students and observers of higher education, it signals something more immediate: a state-driven shift that may limit who can teach in public universities, threatening US scholarship.

“We see this trend, and a pattern of a less and less welcoming environment for Chinese students and international students overall,” said Gisela Kusakawa, the executive director of Asian American Scholar Forum.

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