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New Delhi: Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who recently halted H-1B hiring at state colleges and agencies, had last year hailed the Indian companies for their investments in Texas and hoped for further strengthening ties with New Delhi.
Abbott on Tuesday ordered Texas universities and state agencies to halt new H-1B visa petitions, used by American companies to hire foreign workers with specialised skills, until next year. Texas is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders and the pause is part of the Trump administration's wider crackdown on H-1B visa programme.
When Texas Guv praised India
US podcaster Kyle Seraphin shared a post, reminding Abbott of his 2024 visit to India funded by the Texas Economic. "I was wondering why Texas imported so many Indians. This makes more sense. Gov Abbott just froze new H1Bs in Texas... too late. They came here, set up shop, had babies, took over neighborhoods, and brought whatever their culture is with them," Seraphin wrote on X.
In 2024, Abbott endorsed the Texas-India economic partnership and also visited New Delhi. “Texas and India are two places—and two people—who both share an independent streak and a desire to make our mark on the world,” said Governor Abbot. "As we look towards the future, we must ensure that the next generation of leaders in Texas and India will be the innovators who solve the world’s foremost crises and that embracing the values we share leads to liberty and prosperity unmatched throughout the entire world," Abbott said at the event as he highlighted the investment of Indian companies in Texas.
Texas pauses H-1B hiring
The Texas Government in a letter said that "state government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities — particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars — are filled by Texans first." The hiring has been paused until May 31, 2027 and only applies to state agencies and public universities in Texas.
However, some criticised the move and said that it could worsen existing staff crunch and obstruct universities' ability to recruit talent. "Freezing those pathways makes it harder to staff classrooms, research centers, and hospitals across our state, raising costs, straining public services, and hurting Texans in every corner of our state," Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., Democrat and chairman of Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said in a written statement.
