Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is moving aggressively to block the expansion of radical Islamic organizations, restrict the use of H-1B visas by state entities, and ensure illegal border crossings remain at historic lows—regardless of who occupies the White House in the future.
In an interview with Texas Scorecard, Abbott said recent actions by Democrat-run cities and school districts underscore why the state has stepped in to confront groups he has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
“The Democrats are being tone deaf to the dangers posed by these foreign terrorist organizations,” Abbott said, pointing specifically to the City of Austin’s recent decision to recognize the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Abbott said his administration’s involvement began after investigations into the proposed “EPIC City” development in North Texas revealed what he described as widespread legal violations and attempts to establish an Islamic-only community—an action prohibited under Texas law. Through that process, Abbott said, the state uncovered CAIR’s involvement in expanding similar efforts in Texas.
“That is one of the things that led to what I documented in my proclamation saying that CAIR is a foreign terrorist organization and must be banned from the state of Texas,” Abbott said.
The governor also warned school districts against hosting CAIR-sponsored events, saying taxpayer-funded schools should not partner with organizations he claims have provided material support to terrorists.
“Our schools are not here to sponsor terrorist-based organizations,” Abbott said, adding that the state will “fight this every step of the way.”
On immigration, Abbott defended his decision to freeze the use of H-1B visas by state agencies and public universities until at least the next legislative session. While the visa program is federally administered, Abbott said Texas can prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to hire foreign workers when qualified Texans are available.
“We wanted to make sure that our universities, our public schools, and any other governmental agency in the state of Texas is not using taxpayer dollars to give a visa to some foreign worker when we have Texans who could be performing that job,” he stated.
Abbott said lawmakers are expected to hold interim hearings to investigate alleged fraud and national-security risks tied to the program, including reports of foreign nationals using H-1B visas to obtain sensitive research at U.S. universities.
While acknowledging that the program has, in limited cases, served its original purpose—Abbott cited Elon Musk as an example—the governor said Washington has allowed the system to drift far from its intent.
“It’s been turned into a chaotic program that has taken jobs away from Texans and from Americans,” he said.
Abbott also touted Texas’ continued border enforcement efforts under Operation Lone Star, noting that thousands of National Guard troops remain deployed and are now working in direct coordination with federal authorities to detain and deport illegal entrants.
“No one knows who the next president is going to be,” Abbott said. “My job is to make sure we secure the border not just for the next three years, but for the next three decades.”
To that end, Abbott pointed to Senate Bill 4—the immigration enforcement law he signed after the 2023 session—which empowers state and local law enforcement to arrest and deport individuals who cross the border illegally.
Finally, Abbott defended his proposal to create a statewide prosecutor to address what he described as prosecutorial malpractice by certain local district attorneys who refuse to enforce the law.
“What we have to do is fix the problem that exists,” Abbott said, citing cases in which violent offenders were released after indictments were not timely pursued. “We have to stop dangerous criminals from being released back onto the streets.”
