A resurfaced video of Gov. Greg Abbott welcoming the Indian community at a Diwali celebration has gone viral, sparking fresh online backlash amid the national debate over H-1B visas.
The clip, from the November 3, 2024, Diwali event at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, resurfaced in early April 2026 as online critics circulated it alongside broader complaints about H-1B visas, Indian immigration, and related cultural flashpoints in Texas.
In the video, which has drawn significant attention online, Abbott states: “As long as I’m governor of this great state, Texas will be a land for the Indian community… and we will continue to celebrate Diwali here in the great state of Texas.”
This is amazing. pic.twitter.com/7AoJi7cy5y
— Ryan McCubbin (@RyanMcCubbinTX) April 6, 2026
Some social media users criticized Abbott after the clip resurfaced, presenting it as evidence of a broader posture they associate with H-1B visas and foreign labor. The renewed attention comes amid ongoing debate over the visa program and the extent to which Texas officials can influence hiring practices involving foreign workers.
In a statement to The Dallas Express on April 7, Abbott’s Press Secretary, Eduardo Leal, said criticism directed at the governor over immigration visas is misplaced, arguing that authority over the program rests in Washington.
“Any criticism towards Governor Abbott about immigration visa issues are misdirected. Let’s be clear: the federal government has exclusive purview and is solely responsible over immigration visa policy, including H-1B visas. The Governor does not have the authority to approve or deny visas for any private business,” Leal said.
Leal added that Abbott has acted within state authority by ordering agencies and public universities to halt new H-1B petitions and pushing for legislative changes.
“What Governor Abbott has done is take decisive action within Texas’ authority. He directed state agencies and public universities to freeze new H-1B visa applications … The private sector should follow that example and prioritize American workers for American jobs,” Leal said.
The response highlights a key distinction in the debate: while governors can influence hiring practices within state government, decisions about H-1B visas in the private sector are largely controlled by federal agencies and the companies that apply for them.
Local officials have made a similar distinction. Frisco City Councilman Burt Thakur previously told The Dallas Express that H-1B policy is “a USCIS issue” and outside local government authority.
Abbott’s representative pointed to actions already taken at the state level. In January, the governor ordered a freeze on new H-1B visa petitions across Texas agencies and public universities, citing concerns about alleged abuse of the program and the need to prioritize domestic workers, according to previous reporting by The Dallas Express.
That directive followed reporting by The Dallas Express that Texas A&M University had spent more than $3.25 million on H-1B-related costs since 2020, raising broader questions about how public institutions in Texas were using the program.
Federal data show that 72.3% of approved H-1B petitions in fiscal year 2023 were for beneficiaries born in India, and 11.7% were for beneficiaries born in China, according to USCIS.
During the broader debate over high-skill immigration, Vivek Ramaswamy argued in a widely discussed December 2024 post that “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” framing the issue as one of competitiveness and workforce preparation rather than visa policy alone.
A February working paper by Harvard economist George J. Borjas, published through the National Bureau of Economic Research, argued that H-1B workers earned less than comparable U.S.-born workers after adjustment.
Leal said Abbott is also calling for federal reforms to the visa system.
“Additionally, the Governor is pushing for real reform where it matters. He has called on Congress to fix federal law and urged the Trump Administration to crack down on abuse within the H-1B visa program,” Leal explained. Abbott has also directed the Texas state legislature to take up the issue of H-1B hiring at state agencies when the body returns to session early next year.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, lawmakers in Washington have introduced competing proposals that would expand, restrict, overhaul, or eliminate the H-1B program.
