Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on April 30 an expansion of an H-1B visa fraud probe to include almost 30 North Texas businesses.

​In a statement, Paxton said that Civil Investigative Demands had been issued to those businesses as an extension of an investigation into suspected fraud and abuse of the H-1B visa program, which began earlier with a focus on three companies.

​The demands, part of noncriminal investigations, are government requests for information issued before filing formal complaints or lawsuits.

​According to Paxton, the expanded list of companies is suspected of engaging in fraudulent practices designed to exploit the H-1B visa program.

Paxton’s office said it’s investigating whether these entities have operated “ghost offices,” in which businesses falsely represented themselves as active sponsors of foreign workers.

​“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 announced that additional entities under investigation included 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.

In response to a request for comment, Virat Solutions told The Epoch Times via email the company “strongly disputes” the recent press release issued by Paxton who “inaccurately identifies the company as having engaged in H-1B fraud.”

“These allegations are entirely unfounded, and Virat Solutions unequivocally denies any wrongdoing or misconduct, We are confident that, upon completion of the review process, the facts will demonstrate that these claims lack merit and that Virat Solutions will be fully exonerated,” the email said.

​Other businesses did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment. Emails listed on the websites for Tekpro and Blooming Clouds were not operational.

​Paxton seeks documents identifying all employees working for these companies; records showing the specific products or services provided; financial statements; and communications related to the companies’ operations.

​The expansion in the probe follows Paxton’s Jan. 28 announcement of an investigation into several North Texas businesses suspected of fraud or abuse.

​According to Paxton, businesses under investigation allegedly intended “to scam the H-1B visa program by setting up sham companies.” These companies allegedly operated websites that advertised nonexistent products or services to Texas consumers to fraudulently sponsor H-1B visas.

​For example, Paxton claimed one business allegedly listed a single-family home as its office address, and its website listed an empty, unfinished building as its worksite address.

​These companies have allegedly sponsored numerous H-1B visas in recent years despite a lack of evidence that they actually provide any of the products or services advertised, according to Paxton.

​“Abuse and fraud within these programs strip jobs and opportunities away from Texans,” Paxton said, adding that the interests of Americans should be put above those of foreign nationals.

​Paxton’s investigation comes amid a broader national debate over whether the H-IB visa program displaces qualified American workers.

​Last September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that restricted the hiring of foreign workers under the H-1B program.

​Businesses must now pay $100,000 for any new H-1B petition to bring a foreign worker to the United States.

​In his proclamation, Trump stated that H-1B program abuse constituted a “national security threat by discouraging Americans from pursuing careers in science and technology, risking American leadership in these fields.”