Kellen McGovern Jones will deliver two public talks this week as part of his multi-city “American Worker Tour” examining how the federal H-1B visa system intersects with Texas’ labor market and the ongoing national rulemaking effort.
Jones, a senior investigative reporter for The Dallas Express, is scheduled to speak on November 18 in Denton and on November 20 in Granbury. Both stops mark the twelfth and thirteenth events on his tour, which he launched earlier this year to encourage Americans to participate in the federal public comment period tied to proposed reforms to the visa program.
The tour focuses on informing residents about what Jones describes as the real-world impact of federal H-1B policy on wages, job availability, domestic hiring, and public services. Jones has repeatedly said that citizens — regardless of viewpoint — should weigh in before the November 24 deadline.
The Denton event, hosted by the True Texas Project, is titled “Denton: How Texans Lose Jobs to H-1B Visas, & Sid Miller for Ag Commissioner.”
According to the organization’s digital flyer, the forum will address “the way that Texas companies are filling their job openings with H-1B visas.” The flyer states that “Cognizant, Tesla, Charles Schwab & Co. and others” have been listed as “corporate ‘giants’” using the program, which the posting claims has “unsurprisingly turned into an immigration funnel for entire foreign-born families who use our visas and our public services, including the public education system.”
The group’s announcement also notes: “These programs not only take highly sought after positions away from U.S. citizens, but also drive wages down for others in the same or related fields.”
In Denton, Jones will appear alongside Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. The event is scheduled for November 18 at the Denton County Commissioners Court (1 Courthouse Dr, Denton, TX 7620), beginning with a Friendsgiving potluck dinner at 6:00 p.m. before the 6:30 p.m. meeting.
In Granbury, Jones will headline the November 20 Cross Timbers Monthly Meeting, also hosted by the True Texas Project. That forum’s flyer features substantially similar language regarding the H-1B program and its alleged effects on Texas workers and public services. The meeting will be held at the Comfort Suites on Harbor Lakes Drive (903 Harbor Lakes Dr, Granbury, TX 76048), with a public prayer gathering at 6:00 p.m. followed by the program at 6:30 p.m.
Jones’ prior work at The Dallas Express reported that federal filings showed Texas Instruments continued to pursue foreign hires even as the company reduced or froze domestic positions. Likewise, the University of Texas at Dallas spent over $1 million in taxpayer dollars hiring H-1B workers over a five-year period, internal records cited in other reports indicated.
The proposed federal rule under review was published by the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year under docket number USCIS-2025-0040. The agency notice claimed the overhaul would shift the H-1B system from a random lottery to a “weighted selection process” that prioritizes higher-wage positions. Supporters have argued the change could reduce fraud and elevate pay standards, while critics assert it may disadvantage startups and smaller markets.
Jones emphasized in a statement that his appearances are not partisan events. He said his aim was “to inform citizens about how to participate in the federal rulemaking process,” adding that “whether you support or oppose what the President is doing on H-1B visas, this is a matter of public concern, and people should make their voices heard.”
Jones is an eighth-generation Texan whose work has appeared in publications ranging from The Daily Caller to The Economist. Some of his investigations at The Dallas Express have focused on immigration, labor policy, domestic hiring trends, and the intersection of federal rules with Texas employers.
Members of the public can submit comments on the proposed H-1B visa rule by visiting Regulations.gov and entering docket number USCIS-2025-0040.
The submission deadline is November 24, 2025. A DX guide on how to participate in the public comment period is available here.