As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushes to eliminate the use of H-1B visas across state universities, he is taking a page from Donald Trump’s hardline immigration playbook widening its reach to higher education. DeSantis, who has repeatedly branded the skilled worker visa as a “scam,” is now turning his focus to university hiring, marking a sharp escalation in his campaign against the federal visa program.
Speaking at a news conference at the University of South Florida in Tampa on Wednesday, DeSantis urged the state’s Board of Governors to put an end to H-1B visa sponsorships at public universities, framing the move as a step toward prioritizing American workers in academia.
“We need to make sure our citizens here in Florida are first in line for job opportunities,” he said. “And if there’s things that the universities need, that somehow, they just can’t find in Florida, to me, of all employers, they are the ones that would be most responsible for why they can’t find what they need.”
DeSantis amplified his message on social media, posting on his official X account to criticize university HR departments for favoring “foreign H-1B workers” instead of “qualified Floridians.” Citing Florida’s status as the nation’s top-ranked state for higher education, he doubled down on his stance, writing that the state “will not tolerate discrimination against American citizens in our university system.”
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He did a series of posts on X. Among them, one of them stated, “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. 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.”
Further defending his decision, DeSantis wrote on X, Florida’s position as the nation’s top state for higher education stems from its willingness to “challenge the status quo.” In a post from the University of South Florida, he announced that the state’s Department of Education had eliminated or redirected tens of millions of dollars from DEI-related initiatives across public universities. He added that programs or hiring practices that “privilege one race or gender over another” or give preference to “foreign H-1B workers” instead of qualified Floridians, amount to discrimination that his administration “will not tolerate” within the state’s university system.
Supporting DeSantis’ directive, University of Florida interim president Donald Landry voiced agreement during the news conference. “Occasionally, some bright light might be good enough for the faculty, and then we will try and retain the person into whom we’ve invested so much,” he said, noting that such cases are rare. “But that’s the exception that proves the rule,” Landry added, endorsing the governor’s broader push to limit H-1B hiring in state universities.
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Supporters who share DeSantis’ stance on the H-1B visa issue quickly rallied behind him online, celebrating the move across social media. Many praised the governor for taking a stand that others in government had “lacked the courage” to make, with MAGA-aligned users commending him for “leading the way” on protecting American jobs.
One of the users wrote, on X: “Legend- hard not to vote for this guy – President Trump, Marco Rubio, Luttnick – so many people that could do something to give Americans jobs and who is leading the way? Governor Ron DeSantis.”
Another user wrote, “Thank you Ron. H1Bs are not bringing “global talent” and “innovation” to university admin jobs. It is not part of the job scope. Please also look into Florida Atlantic University. It’s used by many F1s to gain entry to the United States.”