Tania Cepero Lopez, a Cuban refugee, pursued her dream of education at Florida International University. Following the 2022 signing of the 'Stop WOKE Act' by Governor Ron DeSantis, her university altered its practices to comply with new restrictions on race and gender discussions. In 2024, she became president of the United Faculty of Florida union to advocate for academic freedom. Currently, with impending changes in immigration enforcement from the state, the educational futures of students and faculty are once again under threat amidst broader political actions against immigrants.
In 1998, Tania Cepero Lopez surrendered herself at Miami International Airport as a Cuban refugee. She was a 19-year-old with a dream to become an educator.
Suddenly, Cepero Lopez watched as her university contorted to fit DeSantis' agenda. Flags of countries disappeared from the student center.
To defend academic freedom and push back against intrusion from the state, in 2024 Cepero Lopez became president of the United Faculty of Florida union at FIU.
If President Donald Trump successfully fulfills his campaign promise of deporting 1 million people per year, it would make the largest expulsion operation in U.S. history.
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