A federal judge on Monday struck down the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, ruling the administration exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston sided with Democratic-led states that sued to block the fee hike, calling it an unauthorized tax on H-1B applications. The decision matters for higher education because universities and major research institutions rely on H-1B visas to hire foreign faculty and staff for specialized roles. The reporting says Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Florida each received more than 100 H-1B approvals in fiscal 2026, reflecting the scale of higher-ed dependence on the program. The ruling complicates the administration’s stated rationale for the fee—discouraging employers from hiring abroad. While the fee was framed as a way to prevent foreign workers from taking U.S. jobs, the court found Congress did not delegate authority to impose the payment. Further litigation remains possible, including an appeal and parallel cases in different circuits. But for now, the judge’s action resets a high-cost constraint on hiring timelines for universities and other employers using H-1B petitions.