June 8, 2026 · Immigration, Detention & Civil Rights
· Court ruling
Confirmed
Judge Sorokin Strikes Down the $100,000 H-1B Fee Policy
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of the District of Massachusetts on June 8, 2026 granted summary judgment to 20 states in California v. Mullin, "vacating the $100,000 fee policy in its entirety" as an unconstitutional tax and a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
After a temporary stay, a First Circuit panel denied the government a stay pending appeal on July 24, 2026, leaving the vacatur in effect nationwide while the appeal proceeds. A second federal judge, Haywood Gilliam Jr., separately struck down the fee on Sept. 30, 2026.
After a temporary stay, a First Circuit panel denied the government a stay pending appeal on July 24, 2026, leaving the vacatur in effect nationwide while the appeal proceeds. A second federal judge, Haywood Gilliam Jr., separately struck down the fee on Sept. 30, 2026.
Legal outcome: Summary judgment for 20 states; fee policy vacated in its entirety; First Circuit denied a stay pending appeal on July 24, 2026.