Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ‘total ban’ of H-1B visa holders working in public schools: ‘Foreign influence of any kind has no place in our classrooms’

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for a “total ban” on H-1B visa holders working in the state’s public schools, arguing that foreign influence has no place in Texas classrooms.

Speaking at a news conference at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, Abbott said he would push lawmakers to ban H-1B workers from public schools.

“Exactly zero Texas public school employees should be here on H-1B visas,” Abbott told reporters.

Abbott framed the proposal as part of a broader effort to prevent “indoctrination in the classroom,” arguing that education standards were being “compromised by foreign influence.”

“Bottom line is this: foreign influence of any kind has no place in our classrooms,” he said.

What Abbott proposed

Abbott’s proposal would go beyond future hiring and apply to educators already working in Texas public schools under the H-1B program.

Speaking to reporters from Texas Scorecard, Abbott confirmed the ban would also prevent current H-1B holders from renewing their visas for public school employment.

“The law that I’m proposing would apply to all H-1Bs,” Abbott said, according to Texas Scorecard.

Asked whether the proposal would cover visa renewals for current employees, Abbott said, “For public schools, no H-1B visa applicants or current users can be employees in Texas public schools.”

Abbott also called on lawmakers to prohibit public school districts from accepting gifts, money or property from foreign sources or entering into partnerships and other financial arrangements with foreign entities.

The proposal is modeled on a law already covering Texas colleges and universities. That law, passed last year, restricts gifts from governments the state considers foreign adversaries and limits partnerships that could give foreign entities influence over curriculum, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Abbott also said Texas should prioritize citizens and permanent residents over H-1B visa holders when filling school positions.

“We’re tired of the federal government not putting limits on who can come in under H-1Bs and because of the federal government’s failure to control H-1B visas, Texas is having to put our foot down,” Abbott said, according to The Texas Tribune.

“We need to find Texans or Americans who can educate our students. Period,” he added.

Abbott’s earlier H-1B freeze

The proposal builds on an executive order Abbott issued earlier this year directing Texas state agencies, including public universities, to freeze new H-1B visa petitions unless they receive an exception from the Texas Workforce Commission.

Abbott described the school proposal as an expansion of that directive.

“This expands on my prior directive, freezing new H-1B visa petitions in all state agencies and all state universities,” Abbott said, according to Breitbart News.

Abbott has said the freeze and proposed school ban are intended to ensure taxpayer-funded jobs go to Texans first.

The Center Square reported that the H-1B program is jointly administered by several federal agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the State Department and the Department of Labor.

How many educators could be affected

The proposal would affect a relatively small but significant portion of Texas’ education workforce.

More than 300 Texas public and charter school employees currently hold H-1B visas, according to The Dallas Morning News and Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. The Texan, citing the Houston Chronicle, reported that roughly 500 H-1B visa holders worked in Texas public schools as of 2025.

Dallas Independent School District is the state’s largest public school employer of H-1B visa holders and employs 171 workers under the program, according to federal data cited by The Dallas Morning News and KXAN Austin.

If enacted, Abbott’s proposal could force Dallas ISD to dismiss hundreds of employees, The Dallas Morning News reported.

KXAN Austin, citing The Texas Tribune, reported that universities and affiliated health institutions employ most H-1B workers in Texas’ education sector. Several school districts, however, use the program to address teacher shortages, particularly in bilingual education.

KRQE News 13 reported that H-1B visa holders make up less than 1 percent of Texas’ overall teaching workforce.

Dallas ISD responds

Dallas ISD expressed concern about the potential staffing impact.

In a statement reported by the Denton Record-Chronicle, the district said, “If the governor’s new expectation is to eliminate these teachers, then we’re going to need more Texans in the teaching pipeline.”

Abbott’s broader education push

Abbott, who is seeking reelection in November, has made education a central part of his campaign, according to The Texan.

At the news conference, he said his goal was to put Texas “on the pathway to ranking No. 1 in educating our children.” He pointed to record education funding in 2025 and the state’s teacher incentive allotment program as key accomplishments, the outlet reported.

Abbott also argued that Texas classrooms need greater protection from outside influence.

“Texas classrooms should be a safe place for students to learn, grow and succeed, not a place for foreign entities to indoctrinate young Texans,” he said, according to The Texan.

He added that “the minds of our students are shaped by influences that they are exposed to in our public schools,” and warned that those minds and the broader education system could be “compromised by foreign influence.”

Abbott also raised student screen-time limits at the event and said he wants what children read and learn in Texas schools to be “shaped by policies approved by state lawmakers.”

Arguments over the H-1B program

The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for specialty occupations that generally require at least a bachelor’s degree, including jobs in technology, engineering and health care.

The program has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers who argue that employers can use H-1B workers to undercut American employees and wages. Federal officials have also scrutinized the program over alleged fraud and labor violations.

Abbott and other critics argue that the program is being used to replace rather than supplement American workers, KRQE News 13 reported.

The outlet also reported that while Texas state agencies cannot directly petition for H-1B employees, private companies working under state contracts are among the largest H-1B employers in Texas.

Supporters argue that the program helps school districts, particularly in rural and high-need areas, fill bilingual education and STEM teaching positions that can remain vacant despite domestic recruitment efforts.

Demand for H-1B visas remains strong nationwide. USCIS announced July 17, 2026, that it had received enough petitions to meet the fiscal year 2027 cap of 65,000 regular H-1B visas and 20,000 additional slots under the advanced-degree exemption.

What happens next

Any H-1B ban for Texas public schools would require the Legislature to pass new legislation, which Abbott would then need to sign.

The Legislature is next scheduled to convene in 2027, meaning the proposal cannot take effect immediately and remains dependent on lawmakers taking it up during the next session.

If approved and signed into law, Texas would become the first state to bar public school districts from hiring or retaining employees through the federal H-1B program, according to outlets including Fox 7 Austin and the Houston Chronicle.