Twenty state attorneys general filed suit against the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H‑1B visas, arguing the levy exceeds DHS authority and violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the plaintiffs said in filings. California and Massachusetts lead the challenge, which warns the rule will cripple hiring in public colleges, K‑12 systems and health care providers that rely on skilled foreign workers, including bilingual educators and specialized researchers. The complaint asserts the fee bears no relation to DHS costs and will force institutions to curtail programs and staffing. Higher education HR and international‑scholarship offices should be preparing contingency plans: plaintiffs seek to vacate the fee, but litigation timelines may leave institutions contending with elevated hiring costs for months.