(KSE) Keene professor refused re-entry to U.S.

By Charlotte King, Keene State Equinox

Published March 6, 2026

KSC Assistant Professor of Management Hao “Tommy” Huang and his family were denied re-entry into the United States in December 2025, according to an email statement from University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Director Communications, Outreach and Enrollment Lisa Thorne.

In late December, The Equinox received a tip that a KSC professor and Chinese national, along with their family, had been deported from a vacation cruise ship.

In Thorne’s statement, she confirmed Huang and family encountered U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Tampa, Fla. She stated the USNH office is unable to share any further information about Huang’s status “for privacy reasons.”

Thorne also stated the college’s process regarding employees who have been detained or deported by immigration enforcement varies on a case-by-case basis depending on what type of visa the employee is on, whether the employee can continue to work remotely and if the employee expects to return.

“If the employee is working under an employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa such as H-1B, the College has external immigration attorneys available to assist in determining options for the employee,” Thorne stated.

Thorne also confirmed KSC will try to maintain the student experience in situations where college employees are unable to work in-person.

“In some cases this might include hiring temporary or adjunct staff or faculty if the employee is unable to work,” Thorne stated.

Associate Professor of Economics and Keene State College Education Association President William McColloch declined an Equinox interview request about Huang’s denial, while also commenting on the Department of Homeland Security’s [DHS] conduct. DHS is the federal department that oversees immigration enforcement.

“The DHS is an arbitrary, vicious, and retaliatory institution,” McColloch stated. “It has been a national disgrace since its inception, and I wish nothing but shame upon anyone involved with it. That said, I have a responsibility to protect all faculty members at Keene State, and I am seriously concerned that publicizing possible DHS actions against members of the campus community will only serve to further endanger them.”

The Equinox will continue to report on the situation as information becomes available.