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MONDAY, JULY 27, 2026

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 41 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Florida’s Stop WOKE Act was blocked. Here’s what experts, faculty and students have to say THE ACT WAS BLOCKED BY A U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, BUT SEVERAL VOICES SAY IT STILL DEFINED ACADEMIC FREEDOM

By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer

Amna Khalid came to the United States from Pakistan in 2011 with the expectation that American universities represented the freedom to think. When Florida lawmakers passed legislation restricting how certain concepts could be taught in public universities, she said she was shocked. Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected Florida’s attempt to revive the higher education provisions of the Stop WOKE Act. The Court rejected the state’s argument that professors’ classroom instruction constituted government speech, instead deciding the speech is protected under the First Amendment.

The Stop WOKE Act, also known as the Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act, was a 2022 Florida state law that prevented schools and businesses from promoting concepts related to race, gender and social privilege while still allowing discussion of them. The law was blocked by a federal judge shortly after it passed, preventing it from being enforced at UF and other public universities. The state decided to appeal the decision. “That’s not the kind of thing that should happen in a democracy, particularly not the U.S.,” Khalid said. “That’s the kind of stuff that happens in authoritarian states, and having grown up under military dictatorships, I’m incredibly attuned to where this goes. It starts like this.” Khalid, a historian and associate professor of history at Carleton College in Minnesota, submitted an amicus curiae brief with her colleague Jeffrey Snyder

SEE STOP WOKE, PAGE 4

Anenaa Kumar // Alligator Staff

The Stop WOKE Act is a Florida law designed to limit the discussion of race and gender topics in schools and workplaces. Recent federal court appeals have ruled this law violates first amendment rights in higher education.

Florida State Board of Education bans undocumented students from state colleges, GED programs Florida became the fourth state to limit undocumented students’ access to higher education By Logan McBride Alligator Staff Writer

Under a new Florida ruling, undocumented students will lose access to 28 state colleges. On June 30, the Florida State Board of Education ruled public colleges must verify an incoming student's immigration status prior to admission. The same will apply to Florida’s general education programs like second language classes or GED preparation courses. It does not impact Florida’s

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Sexual abuse sentences

Story description finish with comma, Florida law addresses AI in child pg# sexual abuse cases. Read more on pg. 3.

12 public universities, such as UF. Previously, state college admission primarily required a standard high school or GED diploma and transcripts. Now, students will be required to show evidence of their documentation status to be offered admission into the state's higher education system and GED programs, marking a big hit for undocumented students pursuing higher education in the state. Roughly 50,000 undocumented immigrants participate in Florida’s higher education system, with around 8,000 un-

documented students graduating from high school annually. This isn’t the board’s first ruling restricting undocumented students’ access to education. Last year, the board ruled undocumented students could no longer receive in-state tuition, eliminating a 2014 bill signed by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott, which provided undocumented students access to in-state tuition. Out-of-state tuition and fees at UF and Santa Fe College are consistently at least triple the price of in-state costs.

The Avenue: Theater

Local playhouse puts on “Heathers,” review of “Hadestown” proshot, pg. 5

ICE vigil

Organizations hold protest to recognize recent civilian deaths, pg. 7

In-state tuition promised by the 2014 bill was a relief for many undocumented students who lacked work authorization and were unable to access federal financial aid. Following the June 30 decision, Florida joins Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama in limiting undocumented students’ access to higher education. The move could have a significant impact in the state, which was home to 1.6 million undocumented immigrants in 2023.

SEE EDUCATION, PAGE 4

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