Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered all state agencies and public universities to immediately stop filing new H-1B visa petitions and to review their current use of the program, citing concerns that the federal system has been misused at the expense of American workers. The directive was issued in a formal letter dated January 27, 2026, and applies to agencies led by gubernatorial appointees and to public institutions of higher education.
“The economy of Texas should work for the benefit of Texas workers and Texas employers,” Abbott wrote. He said the decision follows “recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program” and comes as the federal government reviews whether the program is being used as intended. Abbott said the H-1B system was designed to supplement the U.S. workforce, “not to replace it.”
The governor cited a proclamation issued by former President Donald Trump titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, which stated that employers must make good-faith efforts to hire American workers before turning to foreign labor. Abbott wrote that in some cases employers have “fired American workers and replaced them with H-1B employees, often at lower wages,” and said the program has been used to fill jobs that “could — and should — have been filled by Texans.”
Under the order, no covered state agency or public university may submit a new H-1B petition without written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission until the end of the Texas Legislature’s 90th Regular Session on May 31, 2027. Abbott also directed agencies to submit a detailed report to the commission by March 27, 2026.
That report must list the number of new and renewed H-1B petitions filed in 2025, the number of visa holders currently employed, their countries of origin, job titles and descriptions, and visa expiration dates. Agencies must also provide documentation showing they attempted to recruit qualified Texas workers before seeking foreign labor.
Abbott said Texas has invested heavily in workforce development to ensure residents can fill high-skill jobs. He pointed to $5 billion in education and training investments approved in 2023, along with additional workforce funding in 2025, aimed at aligning education with in-demand skills. He said those efforts have helped make Texas “the best state in the nation to work” and that the state would not reverse that progress.
“State government must lead by example,” Abbott wrote, adding that jobs funded by taxpayers should be filled by Texans whenever possible. He said the pause will give lawmakers time to consider new state safeguards, allow Congress to revisit federal visa law, and give the federal administration an opportunity to reform the program.
The Texas Workforce Commission was instructed to issue any guidance needed to carry out the order.
Read the Governor’s letter below:
