A second federal judge halts an unprecedented $100,000 fee that President Donald Trump has imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. On Wednesday, US District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California, blocks US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department from implementing the fee.
Gilliam rules that the agencies did not follow required rule-making procedures before putting the charge in place. He grants relief sought by a coalition that includes unions, employers, and nonprofits, and blocks implementation while a lawsuit filed in October proceeds. The decision follows an earlier temporary halt by a federal judge in Boston in a separate case brought by 20 states.
Outlets describe the broader legal context: an appeals court in July declines to pause the Boston judge’s ruling. Separately, the Department of Homeland Security seeks to adopt a permanent fee of about $103,000, which is expected to face further court challenges. Sources differ mainly on emphasis, with some highlighting the “second judge” development and others focusing on the procedural grounds cited in this latest order and the status of related litigation.
