A Florida law restricting travel to countries dubbed "terrorist states" has limited the ability of state universities, including UF, to study and conduct research in Cuba.
But that law could be appealed if the state's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union gets its way.
The Travel to Terrorist States Act, passed in 2006 by the Florida Legislature, prohibits students, professors and researchers from using federal, state or private funds to travel to such countries for academic purposes.
The U.S. Department of State had already enacted its own restrictions regarding six "terrorist states," including Cuba. The other five are Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iran and North Korea. Cuba is the only "terrorist" country in the Western Hemisphere.
However, the federal regulation allows people to travel to Cuba on behalf of private foundations or educational institutes.
Florida's ACLU chapter sued the Florida Board of Governors, the State University System's highest governing body, because the board defended the Florida law.
However, the lawsuit was rejected last year by a Miami district judge. The ACLU appealed the decision, and a ruling is expected in a few weeks.
The Board of Governors filed its own suit against the state Legislature this month about the same bill, stating that academic travel funded by public money could be banned, but travel on private grants should be permitted.
Bill Edmonds, spokesman for the Board of Governors, said the board is suing because the state Legislature should only be able to determine how state funds are spent, not private funds.
"It is just clearly a case of the Legislature going farther than its authority would grant," Edmonds said.
The travel lawsuit came shortly after the board sued the Legislature for another instance of what it called "overreaching." In that case, it was with tuition-setting power, which Edmonds said is also separate from state funding.
Rep. David Rivera, a Republican from Miami who sponsored and co-wrote the state bill on the banned travel, was not available for comment.
Dennis Jett, dean of UF's International Center, said before the Legislature stepped in, students could get around the federal ban.
Although federal law isn't lenient on travel to the island, the regulations state that students can travel to Cuba with an institutional license granted through the Department of the Treasury.
Jett said he renews UF's license every year, but the Florida law now intervenes with that small liberty.
"How can the state of Florida have its own foreign policy, especially one that conflicts with federal law?" Jett said.
He said an important element of the ACLU lawsuit is whether the state Legislature can determine how federal funds are spent.
"I think it's unconstitutional," Jett said. "And I think it's ridiculous."
Keirsten Kafka, a UF advertising junior, said the federal law should overrule the state's.
Kafka said it doesn't make sense that someone from another state could study abroad in Cuba, but she couldn't.
People should be able to study wherever they want, she said.
"Why can't students across the country be given an equal opportunity?" she said.
