Higher education leaders and faculty unions have escalated their response to the administration’s new $100,000 H‑1B fee, filing litigation and warning of immediate harm to research, clinical programs and campus hiring. University presidents and state superintendents told reporters the surcharge will make sponsoring foreign-trained faculty, researchers and clinicians cost-prohibitive for small campuses and rural districts. A coalition led by the American Association of University Professors, the UAW and other unions filed suit seeking to block the fee, arguing the president lacks statutory authority to impose it and that it will cause "significant and potentially catastrophic setbacks" to university research and training programs. Plaintiffs provided case examples of interrupted grants and departing researchers, and asked courts to nullify the regulation. Several major employers in technology and research have signaled they may absorb some incremental costs; other institutions and small public entities say the fee would force program cuts or unfilled positions. Litigation timelines and potential exemptions remain the key near-term variables for campuses planning hires this academic year.