Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for banning H-1B visa workers in public schools, expanding his earlier freeze on such hiring at public universities, and citing concerns about foreign influence in classrooms.
In January, Abbott ordered a freeze on H-1B hiring by public institutions of higher education in the state. Seven months later, he said no public schools in the state should have this foreign influence either. He said Texas lawmakers should ban foreign funding in public schools and prohibit districts from employing workers through the federal H-1B visa program.
“The minds of our students are driven by influences that they are exposed to in our public schools,” said Abbott. “Those minds should be shaped by policies that are approved by state lawmakers.”
The Target: Islamic and Chinese Influence
While all discussion on the H-1B visa program inevitably comes to Indian tech workers, the visa program brings educators from other countries as well. This time, Abbott’s target is the Islamic and Chinese influence in schools.
Austin Independent School District accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Qatar to support Arabic language and culture instruction. Some school districts participated in Confucius Classroom programs affiliated with Chinese government-backed entities.
“We cannot condone the quiet indoctrination of our children in the classroom,” said Abbott, adding that he would ask lawmakers to prohibit schools from accepting gifts, money, or property from foreign sources.
The Official’s Statement
“Exactly zero Texas public school employees should be here on H-1B visas,” said Abbott. “This expands on my prior directive, freezing new H-1B visa petitions in all state agencies and all state universities.”
“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,” said Abbott. “We need to find Texans or Americans who can educate our students. Period.”
The Controversy
Kate Bierly, an official from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said public records obtained from Austin ISD revealed classroom materials associated with Arabic language and culture programs, including an activity in which second-grade students were instructed to create a greeting card praising the Prophet Muhammad and attach a cutout of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.
“There is no circumstance in which it is acceptable that Texas children should be indoctrinated with radical Islamist ideologies in Texas schools,” she said.
The Bottom Line
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for banning H-1B visa workers in public schools, citing concerns about foreign influence. His move expands a previous freeze on H-1B hiring at public universities. Abbott specifically targeted Islamic and Chinese influence in schools, pointing to Arabic language programs funded by Qatar and Confucius Classroom programs. The governor said he will ask lawmakers to prohibit schools from accepting foreign funding and employing H-1B workers.
