Two Republican governors ordered stops to new H-1B hiring at public universities, triggering immediate concern at research institutions that rely on international talent. Florida and Texas officials directed public colleges to suspend new visa sponsorships and to submit detailed records of current H-1B employees and hiring practices. The directives require institutions to show efforts to recruit qualified U.S. workers before filing new petitions and, in Texas, to supply detailed personnel data to the state workforce commission. The pauses apply to new hires only; existing sponsored employees remain employed but face administrative uncertainty. University leaders warned the moves threaten faculty recruitment, lab continuity, and grant delivery at major research campuses. The state actions echo federal pressure on the H-1B program, including a $100,000 fee enacted in 2025, and signal growing political scrutiny of foreign hiring in public higher education.