Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced a freeze on H-1B visa hiring in state agencies and universities for one year. This freeze also stops extensions for existing H-1B employees. However, private companies are not affected, though they are under investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton has asked three firms employing H-1B workers to submit details after a journalist's report found no operations at their offices. Podcaster and influencer Kyle Seraphin criticized Abbott's move, calling it "too late and too little." Seraphin said, "H-1Bs came to Texas, set up shop, had babies, and took over neighborhoods," pointing out the large Indian community, though H-1B visas are from many countries. He reminded Abbott of his 2024 visit to India funded by the Texas Economic Development Corporation. In 2024, Abbott praised strong Texas-India economic ties during his trip to New Delhi. He said, "Texas and India are two places—and two people—who both share an independent streak and a desire to make our mark on the world." He highlighted that Indian companies invested more than $1.4 billion in Texas across 59 projects, creating over 10,300 jobs. Abbott also noted that over 542,000 Indians call Texas home. Experts have voiced concerns that the freeze could impact medical fields reliant on H-1B workers. The freeze is seen as a political move, since private companies remain exempt but are still being monitored. The investigation followed a report by journalist Sara Gonzales who found several H-1B employers with no real business operations.