Trump's crackdown on immigration set the stage for states to follow his lead.
Now one Republican governor is taking the fight even further.
And Ron DeSantis just delivered one crushing blow that has Florida universities scrambling.
DeSantis Moves to Freeze Foreign Worker Hiring at State Universities
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis backed a proposal that would ban the state's 12 public universities from hiring any new employees through the H-1B visa program until January 2027.
The Florida Board of Governors plans to vote on the measure January 29.
If approved, universities couldn't sponsor new H-1B faculty, researchers, or professional staff during the freeze period.
The proposal follows DeSantis's October directive ordering the Board of Governors to "pull the plug" on H-1B hiring at state universities.
DeSantis called the program a "scam" at a Tampa press conference.
"We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions," DeSantis declared.
https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1950287880493904198?s=20
The University of Florida employed 253 H-1B workers in fiscal 2025, according to federal data.
Florida State University had 110, while the University of South Florida employed 107.
Roughly 400 H-1B visa holders currently work across Florida's public university system.
They wouldn't be affected by the freeze, but new overseas hires would be blocked.
DeSantis questioned why taxpayer-funded universities need foreign workers when "thousands of highly qualified Americans graduate from our colleges and universities every year."
"If any universities are truly struggling to find US 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," DeSantis said.
The move puts DeSantis ahead of Trump on restricting H-1B visas in one critical area.
Trump's $100,000 Fee Started the Crackdown
President Trump imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications in September 2025.
The fee jumped from roughly $2,000 to $100,000 overnight.
Trump's proclamation accused companies of "systematic abuse" of the H-1B program.
The White House pointed to tech firms laying off 15,000 American workers while sponsoring 5,000 H-1B employees.
Nearly three dozen higher education groups begged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for a sector-wide exemption.
A federal judge sided with Trump in December, ruling he didn't exceed his authority.
The Association of American Universities and U.S. Chamber of Commerce appealed.
But Trump's fee fundamentally changed the calculation for universities trying to hire international researchers.
DeSantis watched what Trump did and decided Florida needed to go even further.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1983566157387817325?s=20
Universities Can't Have It Both Ways
Universities are crying that blocking H-1B hiring will destroy their research labs.
Here's what they're not telling you.
More than half of computer science and engineering doctoral graduates from American universities in 2021 were foreign nationals — 58% and 56% respectively.
Think about that for a second.
American universities are pumping out foreign Ph.D.s while claiming they can't find qualified Americans.
The University of Washington hit the panic button in September 2025 and paused new H-1B applications after Trump's fee kicked in.
Mississippi State told departments they couldn't sponsor H-1B workers unless they got special approval and found money to cover the costs.
Now universities are scrambling to patch together alternatives with J-1 research visas or O-1 "extraordinary ability" visas.
Those don't work for assistant swim coaches and marketing coordinators — the exact positions DeSantis called out.
Notre Dame professor Kirk Doran ran the numbers on H-1B lottery winners.
Companies that won H-1B slots ended up employing fewer total workers than the companies that lost.
Every two H-1B visas won meant three other workers got pushed out.
So much for the argument that foreign workers create more jobs.
"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," DeSantis wrote on X.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1983566157387817325?s=20
The University of Florida's interim president backed DeSantis during the October press conference.
"We know that H-1B is not handled in a pristine fashion, even in academia, certainly not in business," Dr. Donald Landry said.
But faculty unions erupted over DeSantis's directive.
United Faculty of Florida President Andrew Cassanello called DeSantis's speech a "xenophobic and nativist diatribe."
"He's using fear of people of color and fear of immigrants to sort of impose his will on the running of our public colleges and universities," Cassanello told Inside Higher Ed.
Universities are caught in a political crossfire with no good options.
What This Means for America First Immigration Policy
Florida's proposal represents the most aggressive state-level restriction on H-1B hiring in U.S. higher education.
No other state has moved to ban university H-1B sponsorships.
If Florida's Board of Governors approves the freeze, other Republican-led states could follow.
Georgia, Texas, and Utah often align with Florida on education policy.
DeSantis is building on Trump's September proclamation but taking it further by targeting universities specifically.
Trump created a $100,000 barrier to H-1B hiring across all sectors.
DeSantis wants to shut it down completely at state universities.
The clash exposes divisions even within Trump's coalition.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk strongly supports H-1B visas, arguing American companies need access to global talent.
https://twitter.com/BarronTNews_/status/2015818550028439598?s=20
But DeSantis and the America First wing want to prioritize American workers over everything else.
Universities are scrambling to figure out how to staff research labs if the freeze takes effect.
Some are looking at remote arrangements where foreign researchers work from offshore locations.
Others are considering whether to relocate certain research programs to private universities not bound by the state policy.
The February 12 public comment period gives opponents a chance to fight back.
But the measure has strong political backing and observers say it's likely to pass.
If it does, Florida universities face a year without access to the foreign talent pipeline that's powered American research dominance for decades.
DeSantis is betting voters care more about American jobs than university research rankings.
Trump's landslide victory in November suggests he might be right.
Sources:
- Natalie Schwartz, "Florida proposal seeks 1-year pause on H-1B hires at public universities," Higher Ed Dive, January 22, 2026.
- "Florida moves to freeze new H-1B hires at state universities for one year," India Today, January 23, 2026.
- Liv McKay, "DeSantis orders Board of Governors to 'pull the plug' on H-1B visas in universities," Florida Phoenix, October 29, 2025.
- Zach Schonfeld, "Ron DeSantis targets H-1B visa hiring at Florida universities," The Hill, October 29, 2025.
- Kirk Doran, Alexander Gelber, Adam Isen, "The Effects of High-Skilled Immigration Policy on Firms: Evidence from Visa Lotteries," Goldman School of Public Policy, February 2016.
- "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers," The White House, September 19, 2025.
