Kellen McGovern Jones is scheduled to deliver the 17th stop of his statewide speaking tour Monday evening in Euless, focusing on the economic and demographic impacts of the federal H-1B visa program.
Jones, a senior investigative reporter for The Dallas Express, is slated to address attendees at the Texas Star Golf Course during the True Texas Project’s monthly Tarrant County meeting on March 9. The event, scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., is advertised as a discussion of how the visa program affects jobs, demographics, and crime trends in Texas communities.
The appearance continues his ongoing public speaking tour examining how the H-1B visa program operates and how federal immigration policies translate into local economic outcomes.
“What we’re doing on this tour is walking through the details people rarely see,” Jones told The Dallas Express before the event. “When you follow the filings, the labor certifications, and the federal data, you begin to see how a program designed for temporary high-skill labor can ripple through local job markets.”
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to sponsor foreign workers for specialty occupations. Companies must file petitions with federal agencies and typically certify that the jobs require specialized knowledge.
Jones said his presentations aim to break down those processes and show how they intersect with employment trends in Texas.
“Most people hear about immigration policy in the abstract,” Jones said. “But the question for communities is practical: who is getting hired, who is being laid off, and how does that shape wages and opportunities for local workers?”
Event materials circulated by the host organization state that companies, including Cognizant, Tesla, and others, have used the H-1B program. Federal visa approval data reviewed in earlier reporting by Jones indicated that large technology and consulting firms have been among the biggest recipients of approvals in Texas in recent years.
During the Euless presentation, Jones is also expected to discuss demographic changes and public-policy debates surrounding the program.
“When labor policy shifts, demographics shift with it,” Jones said in prepared remarks. “That affects housing, schools, and public services, and those are conversations communities deserve to have with real data rather than slogans.”
He has previously reported on H-1B filings by universities, visa sponsorships by major corporations, and federal housing policy questions connected to immigration status.
Jones said the tour is intended to provide background information to audiences across the state rather than advocate a particular political position.
“This tour is about information,” Jones said. “The H-1B program has supporters and critics, but everyone benefits from understanding how it actually works and how federal policy decisions play out in local communities.”
The event will include a question-and-answer session following the presentation.
