Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is pushing state lawmakers to pass a total ban on public schools hiring teachers through federal H-1B visas, which are temporary, employer-sponsored U.S. nonimmigrant visas that allow companies in the United States to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields like technology, engineering, science, and medicine that require at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
The move expands his earlier freeze at state agencies and public universities, with Abbott declaring that "exactly zero" public school employees in Texas should hold H-1B status.
Speaking about this on the Fox News Channel, the governor questioned why foreign visa holders are filling teaching positions in his state.
"We don't need people who need H-1B visas educating our kids," he said. "What values are those H-1B visa teachers teaching our kids? I want to make sure it's going to be Texans with Texas values who are educating our kids in our public schools."
In short, he wants Texas jobs going to Texans.
He clarified that only the federal government authorizes these visas, but states have control over denying the ability of any state government to use those visas to hire teachers.
Though statewide federal data indicates there are currently 337 H-1B visa holders working across nearly 50 Texas public school districts and charter networks, accounting for roughly 0.11% of all public school teachers in the state, opponents and school administrators warn that this move could exacerbate critical staffing shortages.
The Dallas Independent School District, for example, relies heavily on the federal program to recruit foreign educators for hard-to-fill roles, including special education and bilingual classes, but Abbott pointed out that they have "gotten by" without these H-1B visa holders before, and they can do it again.
Other states have pursued related restrictions or freezes on H-1B visas at public institutions. In Florida, the Board of Governors for the state university system, backed by similar criticisms of the program from state leadership, has advanced a resolution for a temporary hiring freeze on H-1B visas at public universities.
Iowa lawmakers have advanced a bill (House File 2513) to restrict public universities from hiring H-1B visa holders originating from specific countries designated as foreign adversaries.
Texas, however, is the first to propose an outright ban specifically for K-12 public schools; if approved by the state legislature, Texas would become the first state in the nation to pass such a ban.
