Congressman Chip Roy (R) is asking Texas State University a question that has become increasingly contentious in Texas: Why hire a foreign worker when the university produces hundreds of graduates in the same field?
Rep. Roy sent Texas State President Kelly Damphousse a letter demanding answers after the university renewed an H-1B employment arrangement for a Public Relations Specialist. The university previously clarified that the worker was already employed and that the filing was a renewal, not a new hire.
That explanation, however, did not satisfy Roy.
Texas State awards an estimated 140 public relations degrees each year, and Roy questioned whether the university made a good-faith effort to recruit an American graduate before renewing the H-1B worker's employment.
"While the explanation behind Texas State's occupation listing provided some clarity... it raises questions about the extent to which the university may be prioritizing the hiring of foreign nationals over American graduates and workers," wrote Roy.
The timing also matters.
In January, Governor Greg Abbott directed state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B petitions through May 2027 and ordered a statewide review of the program. On August 19, Abbott called for legislation banning Texas public universities from employing H-1B recipients.
Roy is now demanding a detailed accounting from Texas State, including how many H-1B workers it employs, their salaries and prevailing wages, their occupations, recruitment efforts for U.S. citizens, and how many international students transition from F-1 or J-1 visas into H-1B employment.
He also wants Texas State to explain how it is complying with Abbott's directive.
For Roy, the dispute is bigger than one university employee. It is about whether Texas institutions are doing enough to prioritize American workers and whether the H-1B system is being used for the specialized talent it was designed to attract.
The deadline for answers is September 3.
