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Indian Americans power Texas’ top universities even as an H-1B freeze looms
Governor Greg Abbott’s order halting new H-1B petitions at public universities threatens to disrupt academic hiring in Texas, with Indian American scholars and professionals among those most affected.
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Ishani Duttagupta - Mon, 02, Feb 2026
- 15:28 EST
- 22
(L) Renu Khator, (r-top) Maruthi Akella and kKeshav Pingali. / File Photo
Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order freezing new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and public universities through May 2027 has emerged as a major setback for skilled foreign professionals, with Indian Americans in academia among the most affected.
The move effectively shuts down H-1B hiring at Texas public universities, even though such institutions are typically exempt from the federal visa cap—raising concerns about stalled research, disrupted faculty pipelines, and long-term talent loss.
Yet, despite the immediate impact, Indian Americans remain deeply embedded in Texas’ higher education ecosystem. Home to one of the largest Indian American populations in the U.S., the state counts Indian-origin leaders across top institutions, including Rice University, the University of Texas system, Texas A&M, and the University of Houston.
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