Texas universities, state agencies to disclose details about visa workers under new state directive
Valeria Tokun Haga/THE RIDER GRAPHIC
Gov. Greg Abbott has directed public universities and state agencies to provide detailed data on H-1B visa hires and to freeze new visa petitions, a move aimed to have employment opportunities funded by taxpayer dollars filled with Texans first, according to a Jan. 27 news release.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the intent of H-1B visas is to help employers who cannot obtain business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce to authorize temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorized to work in the country.
In the news release, Abbott stated Texas agencies and public universities cannot hire on a H-1B visa without written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission until May 31, 2027.
Mark Kaswan, a professor in the School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies at UTRGV, said the effect of this order can be an “empty gesture” or “very serious,” depending on the leadership of the TWC.
“It can be very serious and essentially make it impossible for a university like UTRGV, a very international university, to hire the best people,” Kaswan said.
He added Abbott has shown interest in running for president in 2028, and this can be seen as his way of “taking action” on immigration.
In the release, he said he initiated the freeze because of the recent reports of abuse on the federal H-1B visa program and to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, among other reasons outlined.
“The program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could—and should—have been filled by Texans,” the governor stated.
The state agencies and public institutions of higher education should present their hiring reports by March 27 indicating the following:
- New and renewal petitions of sponsorship the entity submitted in 2025
- The current number of visa holders and their country of origin
- Job classifications and descriptions of each visa holder
- The anticipated expiration date of each visa
- Documentation showing efforts were made to allow qualified Texas candidates a reasonable opportunity to apply for positions later filled by H-1B visa holders
Patrick Gonzales, vice president of University Marketing and Communications, wrote in a Feb. 2 email to The Rider the University of Texas System and all 13 UT institutions have submitted the information requested by the governor.
“The institutions are complying with the Governor’s directive by freezing new H-1B applications,” Gonzales stated.
He added UTRGV is waiting for further instructions from the TWC on how future hires will work.
Kaswan said the request to provide this type of information does not show privacy issues for hires, but the efforts to provide documentation on efforts to hire qualified Texans is “troubling.”
“So when we advertise for new faculty, this is something that’s a very standard process, and people in Texas have as much opportunity to apply as anybody anywhere else in the world,” he said. “There’s this implication here that we’re somehow discriminating against people from Texas.”
According to the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services employer data hub, there are 41,571 people working under an H-1B visa in Texas as of Sept. 30, less than 1% compared to the current population of 31.7 million in the state.
UTRGV has 45 employees hired under an H-1B visa, according to the list.
Kaswan said a long-term impact of this, specifically in faculty hiring, is for applicants to think they cannot trust the state of Texas when looking for a job.
“They can’t have an expectation that they’re going to be treated fairly by the state of Texas,” he said. “This policy can have a chilling effect on our ability to attract highly qualified faculty members.”
