Texas Gov. Abbott Freezes State H-1B Hiring Through 2027

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all state agencies and public universities to stop filing new H-1B visa petitions, citing what he calls 'egregious schemes' in which U.S. workers were allegedly fired and replaced with lower-paid foreign labor. In a letter issued Tuesday, he said the pause—effective immediately and lasting until May 31, 2027 unless lifted earlier by the Texas Workforce Commission—will give state and federal officials time to reform the program, which he argues has been used for jobs that 'could—and should—have been filled by Texans.' Abbott directed state entities to file detailed reports by March 27 listing every current H‑1B worker, job classification, country of origin, visa expiration date, and prior efforts to recruit Texas residents. The move comes after President Donald Trump on Sept. 19 signed executive orders creating a 'Trump Gold Card' and a $100,000 fee for H‑1B visas, while declaring that large‑scale use of H‑1Bs to replace Americans undermines U.S. economic and national security. Texas’s action, echoing rhetoric from Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, injects a major state government into the national fight over whether skilled‑worker visas complement or displace the U.S. workforce, and could pressure other red states to follow suit, particularly in higher education and tech-heavy public institutions.