Greg Abbott Pushes to Ban H-1B Visa Workers From Texas Public Schools

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for a complete ban on H-1B visa workers in the state’s public schools, arguing that taxpayer-funded education jobs should go to Texans rather than foreign workers brought into the country through the federal visa program.

Abbott unveiled the proposal Tuesday as part of a broader initiative aimed at eliminating foreign influence from Texas K-12 schools. The Republican governor said he will ask state lawmakers to prohibit public school districts from sponsoring or employing workers through the H-1B program when the Legislature returns next year.

“Exactly zero Texas public school employees should be here on H-1B visas,” Abbott said while announcing the proposal.

H-1B visas allow American employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for specialized occupations. Texas school districts have increasingly used the program to recruit teachers and other employees, particularly for positions that districts say have been difficult to fill domestically.

More than 300 employees at Texas public and charter schools currently work under H-1B visas, according to federal data cited in reports on Abbott’s proposal. Dallas Independent School District alone employs 171, making it one of the largest school-district users of the program in the country.

Abbott has taken an increasingly aggressive position against government reliance on H-1B workers. In January, he froze new H-1B petitions from state agencies and public colleges and universities unless they receive permission from the Texas Workforce Commission.

The governor has argued that the visa program was designed to supplement the American workforce when necessary, not provide employers with a way to replace qualified American workers. He has repeatedly called for Texas government entities to demonstrate that they attempted to recruit Texans before seeking foreign workers.

Abbott has since called on lawmakers to codify his restrictions and expand them to state and local governments. During the Texas Republican convention in June, he summarized his position by declaring that “Texas jobs should only go to Texans.”

The governor’s latest proposal goes beyond employment. Abbott also wants Texas public schools prohibited from accepting money, educational materials or partnerships involving foreign governments and entities connected to them.

Abbott argued that foreign organizations should have no opportunity to influence what children learn in Texas classrooms. He specifically pointed to past relationships between school districts and foreign-backed organizations as justification for establishing tougher restrictions.

The H-1B proposal is likely to face opposition from school administrators who say international teachers help fill persistent staffing shortages. Bilingual education, special education, mathematics, science and foreign-language programs could be among the areas most affected if districts lose access to H-1B workers. Texas has recently been the nation’s largest public-school sponsor of H-1B visas.

But Abbott is framing the issue around both American jobs and control over public education. His position is that Texas taxpayers should not finance school systems that look overseas for employees when qualified Texans could potentially fill those positions.

The proposal still requires legislative approval and therefore is not yet Texas law. If lawmakers approve it next year, Texas could become the first state in the country to prohibit its public school districts from hiring workers through the federal H-1B visa program.