Abbott Bans H-1B Workers in State Agencies to Deflect from Role in Growing Massive Corporate H-1B Program for His Billionaire Donors

Austin, TX — Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa is alerting the public to Greg Abbott’s dangerous slight-of-hand with H-1B visas, accusing him of pandering to his base by targeting state agencies and universities while simultaneously enabling subsidies for corporations that employ thousands more H-1B workers.

“Greg Abbott is a master of misdirection,” said Hinojosa. “He goes after cancer researchers and professors in our public institutions, while signing legislation that allows corporate users to obtain property tax breaks while hiring thousands of H-1B workers.

“As of 2024, by far the biggest users of H-1B visas in Austin were Oracle and Tesla — both have been granted property tax breaks under corporate tax giveaway legislation that Greg Abbott signed. Meanwhile, this state under Abbott has failed to prepare Texans for these good-paying jobs, leaving Texas dependent on foreign workers while he cuts education funding and undermines our universities. He greases the wheels for sweetheart deals to corporations while state agencies and the institutions trying to cure cancer fall behind.”

Abbott ordered a freeze on H-1B visa applications for state agencies and public universities through May 2027, affecting world-class institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center, which employs 171 H-1B visa holders, UT Southwestern Medical Center with 228, and Texas A&M University with 214. These institutions rely on specialized researchers, doctors, and faculty to conduct life-saving cancer research, treat patients, and educate the next generation of Texans.

Meanwhile, corporations face no such restrictions. As of 2024, Oracle and Tesla were by far the biggest users of H-1B visas in Austin, employing thousands of workers under the program — dwarfing the numbers at universities and state agencies. Both Oracle and Tesla have been granted property tax breaks under legislation that Greg Abbott championed and signed.

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