US states sue Trump – Twenty U.S. state governments, including New York, have filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration over its decision to raise the fee for the H-1B specialty occupation work visa—a symbol of the “American Dream”—to $100,000 (approximately 140 million Korean won). The states argue that the exorbitant fee will raise barriers for skilled professionals entering the U.S., with the repercussions spreading nationwide.
The participating states claim the Trump administration’s decision is unlawful. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a lead plaintiff, stated at a press conference, “Trump lacks the authority to impose this fee, and it violates federal law, which only permits collecting costs necessary to administer the visa program.” California, home to Silicon Valley and major tech companies like Meta, Google, and Apple, has one of the highest demands for skilled professionals in the U.S.
The lawsuit involves California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
The H-1B visa is granted to professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, allowing initial stays of three years with extensions and a pathway to permanent residency, often dubbed a “fast track” to the American Dream. In September, Trump claimed the program “threatens American jobs” and sharply increased the fee. A White House “fact sheet” released on September 20 stated, “The H-1B visa discourages future American workers from pursuing STEM careers and threatens our national security.” Annual issuance is capped at 85,000 visas (including 20,000 for U.S. master’s degree holders), with approximately 2,000 Koreans receiving H-1B visas yearly.
This is the third lawsuit over H-1B fees. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of labor unions and employers have also filed separate suits. The policy has sparked divisions even among Trump’s supporters. The New York Times reported, “Startups criticize the fee for undermining their ability to hire key talent and maintain competitiveness, while healthcare groups warn it will worsen physician shortages.”
