Texas A&M University spent over $3.25 million on H-1B visa fees and immigration costs while American computer science graduates face a 16.5% underemployment rate, raising questions about whether public universities are abandoning homegrown talent for foreign labor.
Story Snapshot
- Texas A&M spent $3,252,339.17 sponsoring 659 H-1B workers from 2020 to November 2025, covering roles from professors to graphic designers
- The university received between $285 million and $485 million from Qatar and $10 million from China during overlapping periods, with discrepancies in reported amounts
- Over 100 faculty members failed to disclose involvement in Chinese talent programs like the Thousand Talents Plan between 2015 and 2022
- The Dallas Express filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General after obtaining USCIS records through public information requests
- UT Dallas spent comparatively less at $1.1 million for roughly 300 H-1B workers during the same timeframe
When the Numbers Don’t Add Up
The Dallas Express obtained USCIS records revealing Texas A&M’s H-1B spending spree at a time when American graduates struggle to find work. The university’s 11-campus system approved 659 H-1B visas at the main campus alone, with system-wide totals exceeding 1,400 workers. Universities enjoy cap-exempt status for H-1B visas, meaning they face no annual limits unlike private companies. This exemption was designed to support cutting-edge research positions, not to fill graphic design and communications manager roles that seemingly qualified American graduates could handle.
Comparing Apples to Burnt Orange
UT Dallas operates with a fraction of Texas A&M’s H-1B budget, spending $1.1 million to sponsor approximately 300 workers during the same period. Defenders argue the disparity reflects institutional size differences, and that’s partially true. Texas A&M operates a sprawling system with extensive research operations requiring specialized expertise. Yet the defense crumbles when examining specific job categories. Software developers and communications professionals represent occupations where American workers actively seek employment, particularly in a state with thriving tech hubs like Austin and Dallas. The question becomes whether universities are truly filling specialized gaps or simply accessing a cheaper, more compliant workforce.
The Foreign Funding Web
Texas A&M’s H-1B spending represents just one thread in a tangled web of foreign financial relationships. Department of Energy investigations uncovered $10 million flowing from China through partnerships like the Qingdao laboratory collaboration for Earth modeling research between 2018 and 2023. Judicial Watch litigation exposed even more troubling figures regarding Qatar, with discrepancies between the Department of Energy’s $285 million estimate and Judicial Watch’s findings of $485 million in grants and contracts tied to the university’s Qatar campus. These aren’t small accounting errors. Someone’s numbers are seriously wrong, and the lack of transparency suggests intentional obfuscation rather than innocent bookkeeping mistakes.
The Thousand Talents Problem Nobody Wants to Discuss
Between 2015 and 2022, over 100 Texas A&M faculty members participated in Chinese talent recruitment programs without proper disclosure. The Thousand Talents Plan specifically targets Western academics, offering lucrative compensation to share research and technology with Chinese institutions. Department of Energy officials identified these undisclosed relationships during heightened scrutiny of foreign influence in American research institutions. The university delayed disclosures even after federal probes escalated in 2020, raising questions about administrative priorities. National security experts consistently warn these programs facilitate intellectual property theft and technology transfer, yet universities treat disclosure requirements as bureaucratic inconveniences rather than safeguards protecting American innovation and taxpayer investments.
What American Graduates Are Really Facing
Federal data from 2025 shows 6.1% unemployment and 16.5% underemployment among recent computer science graduates. These aren’t liberal arts majors struggling to find their footing; these are STEM graduates who followed the prescribed path for career success. When Texas A&M sponsors H-1B workers for software development positions while American CS graduates send out hundreds of applications without responses, something fundamental breaks in the social contract. Universities receive massive public subsidies, operate tax-exempt, and benefit from state appropriations, yet they’re under no obligation to prioritize hiring citizens. The American Association of University Professors defends this practice as necessary for preventing staffing disruptions in specialized roles, but that argument rings hollow when job categories include positions fresh graduates could fill.
The Accountability Gap
Texas A&M declined to comment on The Dallas Express investigation. The university offered no explanation for its spending, no justification for specific hiring decisions, and no acknowledgment of public concerns about prioritizing foreign workers. This silence speaks volumes about institutional arrogance and contempt for taxpayer accountability. State universities answer to citizens who fund them through taxes and tuition. When those citizens raise legitimate questions about hiring practices and foreign financial entanglements, administrators owe them transparent answers, not stonewalling. The pending Texas Attorney General complaint may force disclosures that universities refuse to provide voluntarily, but the damage to public trust already occurred.
Sources:
Bad Money: The Infiltration and Usurpation of Texas A&M
From 85K Profs to Elon’s Defense: Inside UT Dallas’ Million-Dollar Visa Spree
Spent $2.5 million hiring H-1B workers
Spies in School: China & Others Stealing Our Intellectual Property
