Dallas Independent School District records show the district paid roughly $2.54 million to outside immigration counsel to process H‑1B visa petitions between 2020 and September 2025. The spending appears across hundreds of fee-related transactions and appears to have been charged to a mix of federal and other district accounts. District officials did not respond to questions from reporters before publication.
Records show millions paid to a Dallas immigration firm
District procurement files obtained by reporters indicate Ramirez & Associates received approximately $2,537,978.91 for H‑1B-related services across 599 transactions between 2020 and late September 2025, according to The Dallas Express. The outlet’s breakdown groups the payments into three periods: roughly $839,991.76 from 2020 to 2022, $1,337,989.58 from 2022 to 2024, and about $359,997.57 from 2024 through September 2025. Ramirez & Associates lists offices in Dallas and Monterrey and says it handles business and immigration matters, including non-immigrant visas and lawful permanent residency.
State steps up scrutiny
Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered a freeze on new H‑1B petitions at state agencies and public universities, arguing that state jobs paid with taxpayer dollars should go to Texans first. The move followed local reporting and put visa use at public institutions under new scrutiny, according to The Texas Tribune. Abbott has also asked agencies for lists of H‑1B hires, job classifications, and hiring practices as officials consider whether policy changes are needed.
Federal funding questions linger
Documents cited by The Dallas Express show the bulk of H‑1B legal and filing costs were billed to federal programs, with several files explicitly referencing Title II, Part A under the Every Student Succeeds Act. That detail raises questions about allowable uses and oversight. The outlet reported that it sought clarification from the U.S. Department of Education but did not receive a response by publication. Federal rules require grant funds to be used in line with program purposes, and auditors will likely look at whether visa-related legal services fit that requirement.
Why DISD says it needs H‑1B hires
District leaders have said H‑1B hires are used to fill bilingual and other specialized vacancies that local recruiting has not covered, especially in classrooms serving many students who speak languages other than English. That reliance on international teachers has been documented in prior coverage from The Dallas Morning News. Trustees have told reporters that visas are one tool to staff critical-shortage positions when certified teachers are not available.
Numbers: snapshots vs. totals
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services H‑1B Employer Data Hub offers a point-in-time snapshot of active sponsored positions, while procurement files capture cumulative transactions and fees over several years. Both sets of numbers have appeared in recent reporting. Those different views help explain why federal snapshots might show a few hundred current H‑1B holders even as procurement ledgers record many more transactions tied to recruitment and processing across multiple years. Officials and oversight bodies are expected to reconcile both datasets as the review continues.
Legal implications…