Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said he “can’t imagine any reason why Dallas ISD should need any H-1Bs,” referring to the district’s use of the federal H-1B visa program.
Cruz made the remarks January 29 on the Texas Bullpen Podcast, just before records published by The Dallas Express showed that Dallas Independent School District spent roughly $2.5 million of federally distributed taxpayer dollars on H-1B visa legal services between 2020 and late September 2025.
“Look, I think that’s a very fair concern to raise. I can’t imagine any reason why Dallas ISD should need any H-1Bs,” Cruz said. He added that while research universities might justify limited use of the visas for a “really, you know, brilliant physicist,” he questioned their necessity in a K-12 setting.
The district records, obtained by The Dallas Express, show 599 H-1B fee-related transactions during the period, with payments made to an immigration law firm for processing labor applications and related services. Federal immigration data indicate DISD employed 1,272 H-1B visa workers over the past five years, reported. The order does not apply to K-12 school districts, including DISD.
In a 2025 interview with The Dallas Express, DISD Trustee Ben Mackey said the district uses H-1B visas only for positions designated as critical shortages and after documenting an inability to fill them with certified applicants.