Now Reading: Texas governor seeks total ban on H-1B workers in public schools
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Texas governor seeks total ban on H-1B workers in public schools
Texas governor seeks total ban on H-1B workers in public schools
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has proposed legislation to prohibit H-1B visa holders from working in the state's public schools, saying he wants 'exactly zero Texas public school employees' on the visa programme.…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has proposed legislation to prohibit H-1B visa holders from working in the state's public schools, saying he wants 'exactly zero Texas public school employees' on the visa programme. He announced the plan at a campaign event in Austin, arguing that 'foreign influence of any kind has no place in our classrooms.' Abbott also said he would seek to ban public schools from accepting gifts, money or property from foreign sources or entering into partnerships with foreign entities, citing concerns about funding linked to countries including Qatar and China.
Texas employs more H-1B visa-holding educators than any other US state, according to a 2025 National Education Association analysis. School districts use the programme to fill hard-to-staff positions such as bilingual education. Abbott's proposal cannot take effect unless the Texas Legislature passes a law establishing the restrictions. The H-1B programme remains under federal control, and demand for visas is still high: USCIS said on July 17, 2026, that it had received enough petitions to reach the fiscal year 2027 cap of 85,000 visas.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The H-1B programme is overwhelmingly used by Indian professionals, who receive about 70% of all visas annually. Abbott's proposal targets a specific, small slice of that pool, teachers in Texas public schools, but it signals a growing willingness among Republican state leaders to bypass federal immigration policy. If the Texas Legislature passes the ban, it could create a legal test of whether states can restrict visa holders in public employment. The next step is the legislative session, Abbott will need to persuade enough lawmakers to prioritise the bill over other education funding issues. Watch for whether the proposal includes a phase-out period for existing H-1B teachers.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
