Attorney General Ken Paxton’s probe into alleged abuse of the H-1B visa program is rapidly expanding, with nearly 30 North Texas businesses now under scrutiny for suspected fraud tied to so-called “ghost office” schemes.
In a new announcement, Paxton said his office has issued additional Civil Investigative Demands, or CIDs, to a growing list of companies believed to be exploiting the visa system by misrepresenting business operations to sponsor foreign workers.
Among the entities named are Tekpro IT LLC, Fame PBX LLC, 1st Ranking Technologies LLC, Qubitz Tech Systems LLC, Blooming Clouds LLC, Virat Solutions Inc., Oak Technologies Inc., Techpath Inc., and Techquency LLC.
Reports cited by the attorney general indicate some of the businesses may be operating out of nonexistent or inactive locations—listing residential homes or otherwise non-operational sites as offices while sponsoring H-1B visa holders.
“I will not allow the H-1B program to be abused by bad actors seeking to use it as a loophole for allowing foreign nationals to invade Texas,” Paxton said. “My office will continue working to uncover and put an end to fraud within the H-1B program.”
Paxton credited Blaze TV and Texas Scorecard personality Sara Gonzales for exposing H-1B fraud across Texas.
The latest action builds on an investigation first announced in January, when Paxton revealed his office had begun examining a handful of North Texas companies suspected of operating sham enterprises. At the time, his office pointed to evidence that some firms maintained polished websites advertising services that did not appear to exist, while listing vacant homes or unfinished buildings as business addresses.
As part of the ongoing probe, Paxton’s office is seeking records identifying company employees, documentation of products or services offered, financial statements, and internal communications related to operations.
The investigation has unfolded alongside other action from Gov. Greg Abbott, who earlier this year ordered state agencies and public universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions amid concerns the program is being misused.
