On Jan. 27, Gov. Abbott issued a new directive to Texas universities and state agencies to cease all new H-1B visa applications until the next legislative session ends in May 2027. H-1B visas are intended to help employers hire international workers in specialized fields by authorizing their temporary employment in the United States, specifically for companies that would otherwise not be able to gain those same talented workers domestically.
The order comes in the midst of Trump’s campaign against immigrants, including his recent “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” announcement. Under Abbott’s new policy, agencies may not initiate or file new H-1B visas without written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission. These organizations must also submit reports by March 27 to the TWC that include the number of new or renewed H-1B petitions filed in 2025, the number of currently sponsored visa holders, expiration dates and documentation proving they made an effort to give competent Texans a “reasonable opportunity” to apply for those positions later filled by H-1B visa holders.
Abbott argues H-1B visas hurt the state economy, and employers should prioritize Texan workers, claiming that bad actors have exploited the program. He said in some cases, employers have even fired U.S. workers in favor of H-1B employees for lower wages. In implementing this visa freeze, he asserts that it will give state lawmakers time to “establish statutory guardrails” and will allow the federal government to enact reforms to the program as a whole.
Texas indeed has a high number of H-1B visa holders compared to other states, approving over 12,000 visas during the 2025 fiscal year. Some of the biggest higher education sponsors with high H-1B visa ratios include UT Southwestern Medical Center with 228, Texas A&M University with 214, and UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with 171.
However, H-1B holders account for less than .01% of all employees in these respective organizations. This directly contradicts the claim that the program is working to replace the citizen workforce. Many of the most cutting-edge research and perspectives come from foreign professionals in these institutions:
“A lot of times, the people doing the most innovative research are people who are coming from overseas,” anthropology associate professor Courtney Handman said. “It’s the ability to bring in people who are working from different traditions, bringing in different ideas, that makes departments and programs innovative. In order to be a global university, the way that Texas is trying to be, that means needing the perspective of people who are living and working in places all around the world.”
Evidence contradicts the claim that employer sponsors replace Texan workers in favor of paying H-1B visa holders a lower wage. Latest wage data shows that H-1B workers are actually in the 90th percentile of all wages in the U.S., putting them in the top 10% of earners. Moreover, as of last year, employers must submit a $100,000 fee on new petitions for H-1B visas, even though they have historically paid between $2,000-5,000. Not only are these employers typically paying more for H-1B professionals, but it would actually be uneconomical to acquire domestic talent for cheaper.
There are already guardrails in place to protect against what Abbott cites. For instance, employers must affirm the employment of a foreign worker will not harm the working conditions and wages of U.S. workers in similar positions through a labor condition application certified by the Department of Labor itself. Moreover, immigrant workers have actually been found to expand the U.S. economy through non-competing skill sets, correlate with lower unemployment for domestic workers and boost the economy through increased consumer demand.
“If you don’t allow people from foreign countries into our country to study, then we’re missing out on their ideas,” anthropology sophomore Jonas Boyen said. “Not only do we lose their information or their knowledge, (but) we lose the benefits to our perspectives that come from interacting with that knowledge. It’s really a loss for everyone.”
Abbott’s cession of H-1B visas is both unsubstantiated and harmful. By refusing both the professional and academic spheres access to necessary foreign talent, he is diminishing Texas’ ability to compete in the global market — including fields such as science, technology, engineering and medicine. In higher education, it will likely lessen the value of teaching and research in the specialized fields that need it most; in professional arenas, it will prohibit the workforce from obtaining the talent needed to keep Texas as a global competitor.
Gray is an anthropology, government and philosophy junior from Baytown, Texas.
