A federal appeals court in Boston rejected the Trump administration's bid to block a lower court ruling that struck down a $100,000 fee on new H-1B work visas, dealing a legal setback to the White House on immigration policy.
The three-judge panel of the First US Circuit Court of Appeals, all appointees of Democratic presidents, said the government failed to demonstrate it was likely to succeed on appeal. The decision upholds a June 8 ruling in a lawsuit brought by 20 Democratic state attorneys general, who argued the fee constituted an unlawful tax.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in September 2025 sharply raising the cost of obtaining H-1B visas, a program that allocates 65,000 visas annually plus 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees. The program primarily serves highly skilled foreign specialists and is heavily used by technology companies.