Cowtown Note: While I was giving this interview between 9:30 AM and 9:45 AM CST, the governor’s office announced the details of the halt to the H1B visa program, which has produced the below story.
Governor Greg Abbott has ordered a statewide freeze on new H-1B visa petitions across Texas agencies and public universities, escalating scrutiny of foreign worker hiring that intensified after recent reporting on Texas A&M University’s visa spending and records disputes.
Abbott announced January 27 that all Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education must immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions and begin a comprehensive review of their current use of the federal program, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The text of the directive frames the move as a response to what Abbott described as “recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program” and an ongoing federal review under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The economy of Texas should work for the benefit of Texas workers and Texas employers,” Abbott wrote in the directive. “In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that program to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter.”
Under the order, no state agency led by a gubernatorially appointed head, nor any public university, may file new H-1B petitions without written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission until the end of the Texas Legislature’s 90th Regular Session on May 31, 2027. Agencies and universities are also required to submit detailed reports by March 27 identifying how many H-1B petitions they filed in 2025, how many visa holders they currently sponsor, the workers’ countries of origin, job classifications, visa expiration dates, and documentation showing efforts to recruit qualified Texas candidates first.
Abbott cited President Trump’s proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” arguing that the H-1B program was intended to supplement, not replace, the domestic workforce. “Evidence suggests that bad actors have exploited this program by failing to make good-faith efforts to recruit qualified U.S. workers before seeking to use foreign labor,” Abbott wrote, adding that in some cases American workers were allegedly replaced with H-1B employees “often at lower wages.”
The directive follows heightened attention on Texas A&M University’s use of the program after months-long public records disputes. The Dallas Express reported on January 25 that Texas A&M spent more than $3.25 million since 2020 on H-1B-related fees and processing costs, based on records obtained after delays and a pending complaint with the Texas attorney general. That reporting also cited federal data showing hundreds of H-1B approvals at the university and raised questions about why the university was applying for visas where there is high domestic unemployment and underemployment.
The chain of events drew notice beyond state government. A report later noted that Abbott’s demands for documents from Texas A&M came as scrutiny intensified, writing that, “The [Governor’s demands for H-1B records from A&M] follows reporting by conservative news site The Dallas Express on Thursday that it had sought public records related to Texas A&M University’s use of H-1B visas for months and filed a complaint with the Texas attorney general before receiving the information,” according to the Texas Tribune.
Abbott reportedly demanded A&M’s records on the same day The Dallas Express published a report that the university was delaying the file’s release.
Abbott’s letter states that the freeze is intended to give lawmakers time to consider “statutory guardrails” for future employment practices involving federal visa holders, while Congress and the Trump administration pursue broader reforms. The Texas Workforce Commission was directed to issue any guidance needed to carry out the order.
Critics and supporters of the H-1B program remain sharply divided. Academic groups have argued the visas are essential for attracting skilled professionals, while labor organizations and some state officials contend the program can be used to undercut wages or bypass qualified American workers, DX previously reported.
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