Texas State University defended employing a foreign worker on an H-1B visa after a conservative state lawmaker and online activists accused the university of overlooking qualified Americans for the position.
H-1B visas are temporary work permits granted by the federal government. U.S. companies and universities use them for difficult-to-fill specialty jobs, such as those held by researchers in STEM fields.The Trump administration has sought to rein in H-1B visas as part of its immigration policy platform.
Last week, Texas State University posted a notice announcing the university would renew the H-1B visa of a public affairs employee, drawing the ire of conservatives opposed to the permits.
Supporters have said the visas, which were created in 1990 under former President George H.W. Bush, are essential to ensuring the country has access to top talent for specialized job needs and research. More than half of H-1B visa holders have a master’s degree or higher credential.
But recently, some Republicans have been openly critical of the visas, which they view as a way to sideline American talent and a risk to the security of research. U.S. Department of Labor guidance states that the visas should only be used when members of the American workforce cannot meet labor needs.
Gov. Greg Abbott has echoed that stance, saying he doesn’t believe foreign workers should be paid by taxpayer-supported institutions. In January, he ordered public universities to stop offering new H-1B visas until May 2027, accusing public colleges and universities of “abusing” the program.
The San Marcos-based university drew criticism this week after officials posted an H-1B renewal notice for a staffer. That person’s visa will expire in 2027. The university asserted that the renewal was compliant with Abbott’s order, which applies only to new visas.
In a statement posted online Tuesday, university officials reiterated that their employment decision was legal and said that Texas State is exempt from seeking approval to hire foreign students or recent graduates already in the country.
“The employee is a Texas State University graduate (and) began working at Texas State as a full-time employee in 2023,” officials said in a statement.
The online debate came on the day of a public hearing of the Texas House Higher Education Committee, where lawmakers encouraged universities to keep their research secure from foreign adversary nations like China.
On Tuesday, Abbott also ordered lawmakers to ban all H-1B visas in K-12 public school systems, building on his higher education H-1B freeze. There are 500 teachers on H-1B visas in the state, including 230 in Houston ISD and 14 at Austin ISD, the Houston Chronicle reported in 2025. Abbott said he wants “exactly zero” teachers on H-1B visas at Texas public schools.
“We’re tired of the federal government not putting limits on who can come in under H1-Bs and because of the federal government’s failure to control H-1B visas, Texas is having to put our foot down.” Abbott said. “We need to find Texans or Americans who can educate our students, period.”
When asked about if his action applies to higher education, he said the freeze on new H-1B visas is still in place, but more information will come “in the next week or two” on further action.
‘My office will be demanding answers’
Some weren’t satisfied with Texas State University’s defense of its position.
“My office will be demanding answers” from Texas State University, Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, posted on X. “To better understand their competition process and their contention that there was not one, single, qualified applicant for this $73k/yr taxpayer-funded PUBLIC RELATIONS position… who was also a Texan or an American citizen!?”
In Texas, there are 3,332 H-1B visa holders at public universities across the state, according to data reported to the Texas Workforce Commission this year. Texas public higher education institutions employ more than 218,000 employees, according to the state auditor.
Texas State University has not been immune to political pressure from conservative advocates over the past year.
Last fall, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse fired a tenured professor after his remarks at an off-campus revolutionary socialism conference circulated online. Soon after, the university reportedly asked a student to withdraw after a video went viral of him pantomiming Charlie Kirk’s death. A staff member was fired for supporting that student on social media, she previously said.
The university declined to respond to questions about the impact conservative pressure has had on the institution or the importance of H-1B visa holders to campus.
Texas isn’t unique in its push to tamp down on-H-1B visas. The Trump administration has made it harder for non-citizen workers to gain legal permits, including by requiring a $100,000 fee for H-1B applications.
The federal government has also encouraged universities to limit their enrollment of international students and has revoked visas of current international students for various reasons, including pro-Palestinian advocacy.
In Texas, universities with permission from the Texas Workforce Commission can seek new H-1B visas in rare circumstances, but no university has sought permission as of July, an agency official said at a public hearing this week.
Abbott’s freeze on H-1B visas in higher education expires at the end of the next legislative session. Lawmakers convene in Austin in January, when they could introduce more limits on H-1B visa holders and their employers.
This article originally published at Texas State defends H-1B visa renewal after criticism from GOP lawmaker.