Growing concerns over a bill impacting international hiring and research have prompted a unified response from University of Iowa faculty.
A coalition of over 100 UI researchers and professional staff sent and signed a collective statement on March 25 to UI President Barbara Wilson and the Iowa Board of Regents asking them to oppose a bill which would restrict the hiring of H-1B workers, later updating it on March 30 with increased support.
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House File 2513 would prohibit all colleges and universities from entering employment contracts with federal H-1B visa holders who are citizens of a nation “designated as a foreign adversary by regulation of the United States Secretary of Commerce” or a nation “designed as a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States Secretary of State.” It was passed in the Iowa House with an amendment through the Iowa House on March 3. The legislation has been placed on the Senate’s debate calendar.
H-1B visas can be acquired by international professionals working in U.S. specialty occupations, and they require highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree.
Shuang Chen, associate history professor at the UI, sent a statement along with 139 co-signers to The Daily Iowan. Chen said in an interview with the DI that the bill would threaten the university’s ability to recruit and retain top talent and disrupt critical research continuity by restricting employment opportunities for international professionals.
“Researchers who are from outside of the country have been contributing greatly to the university and to the state of Iowa, but with this kind of discriminatory deal, it will send a signal that Iowa is closing itself up,” she said. “It really undermines the integrity of the entire university system for everyone.”
The coalition provided the university with six reasons why they should oppose the bill:
- It would cause conflict with federal authority and established security protocols
- Cause quantifiable and immediate economic damage
- Cause erosion of academic excellence
- Generate grave risks to Iowa agriculture and international trade, inevitable, costly, and losing litigation
- Would send a damaging signal to the world
Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, served as the bill’s floor manager and supported the legislation. He said during a floor debate on March 3 the bill is necessary for national security to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing sensitive research.
“Do you really believe we should have members of the Chinese Communist Party teaching economics or political science or government in our regent universities?” he said during the House’s floor debate on March 3. “Do you really believe that we should have individuals from Russia or Iran influencing future voters in this country? I do not.”
Chen said the coalition is waiting for the UI’s response to their statement, but in the meantime, they are working individually by sending emails and making phone calls to the Iowa Senate to urge them to fail the bill.