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Abbott Proposes Banning H-1B Teachers in Texas Public Schools

8/24/2026

Summary

Abbott Proposes Ban

Governor Greg Abbott proposed banning H-1B visas for Texas public-school employees at an Aug. 18 event in Austin.
The proposal also prohibits districts from accepting gifts or funding deals with foreign governments.
Texas public schools employed 271 H-1B visa teachers in 2025, the most of any state.
Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa said the ban scapegoats teachers while Abbott aids corporate H-1B sponsors.

Summary

San Marcos Council Bans

San Marcos City Council adopted a June 16 ordinance effectively banning data-center development over water and energy concerns.
A July Fox News poll found 70% of registered voters oppose a data center in their community.
Hill County’s data-center moratorium was rescinded after a developer sued the county for $100 million.
U.S. Rep. Gina Hinojosa’s “Abbott Intelligence” ad in rural markets accuses Governor Greg Abbott of taking over $20 million from data-center donors.

History

Historical Context

The Immigration Act of 1990, signed by President George H. W. Bush on November 29 1990 after Senator Ted Kennedy’s 1989 proposal, established the H-1B visa with an annual cap of 65,000 skilled workers. Decades later, Governor Greg Abbott’s August 2025 plan to bar H-1B teachers and San Marcos’s June data-center moratorium echo the act’s original protectionist debates, risking federal education funds and major investment.

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Abbott Proposes Ban

Governor Greg Abbott proposed banning H-1B visas for Texas public-school employees at an Aug. 18 event in Austin.
The proposal also prohibits districts from accepting gifts or funding deals with foreign governments.
Texas public schools employed 271 H-1B visa teachers in 2025, the most of any state.
Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa said the ban scapegoats teachers while Abbott aids corporate H-1B sponsors.

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