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Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee as Unlawful Tax
June 8, 2026
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston struck down Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee on June 8, 2026, ruling it an unlawful tax that only Congress has the power to impose. The fee — announced in September 2025 and raising costs from roughly $2,000–$5,000 to $100,000 per application — was challenged by 20 Democratic state attorneys general. The ruling drew bipartisan praise from lawmakers citing impacts on healthcare and education staffing; the White House vowed to appeal.
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“I don't believe that for a minute, that they have trouble finding people with skills in the U.S. to fill those jobs. This isn't about skills. This is about money. It's about cheap labor.
“If an American corporation needs workers, it should hire and train Americans.
“Many school districts in rural and remote parts of the state rely on the H-1B visa programme to bring quality teachers to their communities.
“Although an activist judge blocked President Trump's reforms to the H-1B program, Congress can fix it without judicial obstruction.
“The $100,000 fee for employers' H-1B applications would have discouraged the best and the brightest from coming to America and helping our economy grow and innovate.
“I have been working to exempt healthcare workers from this fee that only exacerbates the current staffing shortages in healthcare. That's why I introduced the bipartisan H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act. While we continue to push this legislation through Congress, this ruling is welcome news.
“Today's victory protects the integrity of the H-1B visa program as a tool to address severe labor shortages in vital industries like education, healthcare, and medical research. In Massachusetts, this win will ensure we can fill critical vacancies and hire world-class faculty and researchers at colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.