Texas governor blocks H-1B hiring at state agencies and public universities

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on Tuesday abruptly blocked state agencies and public universities from using H-1B visas in hiring and ordered an investigation into agencies and universities that sponsor foreign job applicants, the governor said. In a letter to state agencies, Mr. Abbott directed an inquiry into the visas, which are issued to nonimmigrant workers in a range of specialty fields.

He proposed freezing such hiring until after the State Legislature meets next year, mirroring a move under consideration by Florida officials and aligning with the Trump administration’s broader limits on the program, including a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions imposed in September.

The action was embraced by the state Republican Party as "a great first step in the fight to protect Texas jobs," while higher education advocates pushed back. Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, called the move "partisan interference in students’ right to learn" that would "lower the quality and diminish the value of education and research at Texas universities." The National Foundation for American Policy found more than 12,000 H-1B visas were approved in Texas in the 2025 fiscal year, and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources estimated about 40,600 faculty nationwide hold H-1B visas.

Mr.