DeSantis moves to end foreign visa use in Florida universities

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a sweeping move to curb the use of foreign worker visas in the state’s higher education system, declaring that Florida will “pull the plug” on the use of H-1B visas at its public universities and instead prioritize hiring American and Florida-resident workers.

Speaking from Tallahassee, DeSantis said, “We can do it with our residents of Florida and with Americans.” The directive, issued to the Florida Board of Governors, orders the system overseeing the state’s universities to end reliance on temporary visa holders and ensure taxpayer-funded institutions hire qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

The announcement comes amid growing national scrutiny of the H-1B visa program, which critics say has been exploited by corporations and universities to replace American professionals with lower-cost foreign labor. DeSantis’ order makes Florida the first state to take such decisive executive action at the university level, positioning his administration at the forefront of state-led efforts to restore fairness in the labor market.

\WND staff has remained in direct contact with Florida officials throughout 2025 regarding reports of visa-related abuses impacting the state. In May, federal agencies received a multi-agency whistleblower report detailing an alleged foreign-run labor funnel operating through F-1, OPT and STEM-OPT visa pathways tied to Miles Education Pvt. Ltd. and its U.S. affiliates. That same month, the documentation and supporting evidence were also shared with Florida authorities for review.

The report requested criminal and civil rights investigations and outlined evidence involving Florida universities, employers, CPA boards and state licensing systems.

According to the report, Miles and its network of partner institutions constructed what is described as a foreign labor funnel disguised as education, exploiting student visa programs to channel low-cost foreign labor into U.S. firms while bypassing American applicants. WND independently confirmed that materials identifying Florida-based connections were included in the submission package provided to state officials.

DeSantis’ leadership marks a growing shift among states seeking to address what many describe as Washington’s failure to protect American workers from visa misuse. His directive could serve as a model for governors nationwide to follow.

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