Texas’ Self-Defeating H-1B Pause

The MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the institutions that will feel the pain

By Collin Levy of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"the claim that work visas take jobs from American citizens doesn’t hold up. The Texas unemployment rate was 4.3% as of December, and in Austin—where high-tech jobs cluster—it was just over 3%. Foreign workers in the U.S. typically fill gaps in the labor market that aren’t met by American citizens. A 2020 study by the National Foundation for American Policy found that an increase in H-1B visas within a profession was associated with a decrease in the unemployment rate in the profession."

"Mr. Abbott’s visa ban directs the heads of state agencies and public universities to inform the Texas Workforce Commission how many H-1B petitions they submitted in 2025—as well as “documentation” that Texas candidates had a “reasonable opportunity to apply for each position.” It also asks for the “countries of origin of all H-1B visa holders the entity currently sponsors.” When I asked the governor’s office why it is asking for countries of origin and if there are particular countries of concern, I was directed back to his press release and letter, which don’t address the questions."