Washington, Aug 24 (IANS) Republican Congressman Chip Roy has demanded that Texas State University explain its continued employment of an H-1B visa holder, questioning whether the institution gave American graduates and workers a fair opportunity to secure the job.
Roy, who represents Texas’ 21st Congressional District, sent a letter to university President Kelly R. Damphousse after Texas State renewed the foreign worker’s contract for a public relations specialist position.
The university has clarified that the filing was for an existing employee and graduate who holds an H-1B visa, rather than a new petition, according to the letter released by Roy’s office on Monday.
Roy said that explanation provided some clarity but raised broader questions about the university’s recruitment practices. He asked whether Texas State had made a good-faith effort to find a qualified US citizen before retaining the visa holder.
Texas State offers a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations and awards an estimated 140 degrees in the field annually, the congressman said.
Roy questioned why the university could not have selected one of its US citizen graduates for the position.
The employee had initially entered Texas State as an F-1 international student before graduating and securing employment with the university, according to Roy’s letter.
That sequence, he said, raised questions about whether Texas State helps international students move from F-1 status to Optional Practical Training and later to the H-1B programme for longer-term employment.
The letter comes amid a wider push by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to restrict the use of H-1B workers at state institutions.
Abbott directed state agencies and universities on January 27 to freeze new H-1B petitions until May 31, 2027, and review their use of the programme. On August 19, he called upon the state legislature to prohibit higher education institutions from employing H-1B recipients statewide.
Roy asked Texas State to explain how it was complying with Abbott’s January directive.
“The H-1B visa program does not serve the interests of Texas nor the nation,” Roy wrote.
He also backed stricter scrutiny of H-1B applications by the Trump administration, saying it could help determine whether applicants possess skills not readily available in the United States and counter the displacement of domestic white-collar workers.
Roy cited recent data showing Texas among the leading states for Labour Condition Applications filed by employers seeking H-1B workers. He alleged that employers and educational institutions may be overlooking qualified Texans in favour of lower-cost foreign labour.
He also cited a 2019 academic evaluation that found that “most H-1B workers have no more than ordinary skills, skills that are available in the U.S. labour market”.
The congressman requested a detailed response from Texas State by September 3.
He asked the university to disclose how many H-1B visa holders it currently employs, their occupations, educational qualifications, specialised skills and workplaces within the institution.
Roy also sought their salaries from the dates they were hired, the prevailing wages for their occupations and information on whether the workers entered through the capped lottery or were exempt from the annual cap.
The university was asked to provide annual figures for H-1B employees hired since fiscal year 2020 and identify other job postings that solicited such workers. Roy also requested details of public advertisements, salaries and other measures used to recruit US citizens.
--IANS
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