After hundreds of Radio Free Asia staff placed on leave, some fear deportation

Radio Free Asia (RFA) was established by Congress in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre as a means to provide unbiased news and information to countries where governments suppress the truth. The goal was to give citizens in authoritarian regimes, such as China, access to free press and the ability to seek out the truth.

However, recent funding cuts have forced RFA President Bay Fang to put 75% of the staff on leave. This decision was made by Kari Lake, a senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees RFA and Voice of America. Lake, a former television broadcaster and unsuccessful Republican candidate, has implemented drastic cuts to the agency’s budget, leading to layoffs and the termination of federal grants for RFA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The layoffs have had a significant impact on RFA, which had a full-time staff of around 400 people prior to the cuts. In addition to the layoffs, several journalists may face deportation if they lose their work visas. These journalists, who are not U.S. citizens, are currently behind bars in their home countries, and RFA is funding their families and legal defense.

Despite the challenges, RFA remains committed to its mission of providing fair and uncensored news to countries where free speech is limited. Fang emphasized the importance of RFA’s work in promoting U.S. national security interests and soft power abroad. However, without intervention from the courts, Congress, or a private donor, RFA may only have enough funds to continue broadcasting for one more month.

In response to the layoffs, a group of VOA employees has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking reinstatement. The future of RFA and other government-funded media outlets remains uncertain, but their role in promoting freedom of information and democracy in authoritarian regimes cannot be understated.