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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday halted new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and public universities as the state investigates potential program abuse.
In the letter, the governor cited reports of cases in which U.S. workers were allegedly displaced by lower-paid foreign labor.
“In the most egregious schemes, employers have even fired American workers and replaced them with H-1B employees, often at lower wages,” Abbott wrote.
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“Rather than serving its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest individuals from around the world to our nation to fill truly specialized and unmet labor needs, the program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could—and should— have been filled by Texans,” he added.
Abbott said the pause will give state and federal officials time to enact reforms while Texas continues investing heavily in education and workforce training to meet labor demands without relying on the visa program.
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The move comes after President Donald Trump in September alleged that while the visa program was intended to supplement the U.S. workforce, it has since been used to replace American workers.
“The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security,” Trump wrote in a Sept. 19 proclamation.
Abbott’s order requires state agencies and public universities to submit a report to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, detailing their H-1B filings, current visa holders, countries of origin, job classifications, visa expiration dates, and efforts to recruit qualified Texas residents.
The freeze will remain in effect until May 31, 2027, unless approved in writing by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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