San Francisco, Calif. — A broad coalition of schools and health care providers today submitted two legal filings in federal court seeking immediate relief from the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful $100,000 H-1B fee — an unprecedented and unauthorized cost that has already disrupted medical care, education, and local economies across the country.

In the filings, plaintiffs asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to block enforcement of the $100,000 H-1B fee while the case proceeds, and certify a nationwide class of U.S. employers harmed by the fee, ensuring that relief applies broadly and uniformly. 

Plaintiffs’ and Co-Counsel’s quotes are below:

Plaintiffs:

American Association of University Professors:

“Trump’s restrictions on H-1B visa applications will lead to less lifesaving research, reduced innovation, and diminished competitiveness, said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors. “By discouraging the best and brightest minds from around the world—individuals who have enriched American higher education for decades—he’s sending a message: ‘You’re not welcome here. Go elsewhere.’ This short-sighted policy doesn’t just hurt universities — it hurts every American by slowing research breakthroughs, weakening our economy, and putting our global leadership at risk.”

BAE Industries:

“For more than 50 years, BAE Industries has built its reputation on precision manufacturing, innovation, and delivering high-quality products for our customers,” said Melynn Zylka, Chief Financial Officer of BAE Industries. “Our ability to do that depends on access to highly skilled engineers, toolmakers, and manufacturing specialists—including through the H-1B program. This unlawful fee would disrupt production, slow innovation, and undermine the reliable U.S. manufacturing base. You cannot build the future of U.S. industry by slamming the door on the engineers and specialists who make that future possible.”

Committee of Interns and Residents, SEIU (CIR):

“Resident physicians with H-1B visas are highly skilled professionals who provide high-quality and compassionate care to patients throughout the United States. They are part of the very backbone of our healthcare system.  The unconscionable fee for H-1B petitions called for in the President’s proclamation will have a devastating impact on our patients and their communities by reducing the number of resident physicians available to provide care at a time our country is already facing a serious shortage of physicians,” said Dr. Taylor Walker, CIR/SEIU President.

Lower Brule Day School:

“Our school serves Lakota students who deserve the same access to high-quality education as any child in this country,” said Brian Wagner, Lower Brule Tribal Education Director. “H-1B educators help fill persistent staffing gaps and provide stability and expertise for students in communities that are already struggling. This extreme and unlawful fee threatens our ability to meet students’ needs and undermines the federal government’s responsibility to support Tribal communities, not abandon them.” 

Nephrology Associates of the Carolinas

“Our patients’ lives depend on having qualified physicians to provide timely, specialized care,” said Michaelle Waters, Office Manager of Nephrology Associates of the Carolinas. “H-1B physicians play a critical role in addressing shortages, particularly in specialized fields like nephrology. This unlawful fee would make it harder to recruit and retain doctors, worsening delays in care and putting patient health at risk — especially in communities in vulnerable situations that already struggle with access to specialists.”

United Auto-Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America:

“This edict makes clear the U.S. is no longer open to the world’s most brilliant and hardworking scientists,” said UAW Region 6 Director Mike Miller. “It prioritizes wealth and connections over scientific acumen and diligence and tells the world that the U.S. is no longer a place to pursue scientific inquiry to solve some of the major diseases and other problems confronting us.”

United Auto-Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America 4811:

“UAW academic workers, many of whom are international, deliver groundbreaking research every day in labs across the country,” said Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 4811, which represents over 48,000 academic workers at the University of California. “They should be able to do their work without harassment, intimidation, or xenophobic threats from the President. We will continue to fight until this proposal is defeated.”

Co-Counsel: 

Democracy Forward:

“This isn’t about helping American workers; it’s about shutting the door on American innovation and essential work and opening the door to corruption,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “H-1B workers keep rural hospitals staffed, bring STEM education to schools with teacher shortages, advance lifesaving medical research, keep our tech sector competitive, and help small businesses thrive. President Trump cannot impose a six-figure immigration ransom by fiat. This exorbitant fee invites corruption and is unlawful, destabilizing, and bad for everyone — that’s why we’ve joined this powerful coalition to challenge it in court.”

Justice of Action Center:

“On September 19, the Trump administration essentially told medical staff, engineers, and visionaries to ‘Keep out,’ slamming the door on the employers who need them, and the communities they serve,” said Karen Tumlin, Founder and Director of Justice Action Center. “We filed this lawsuit not just for those who are working hard to strengthen America’s industries, hospitals, and schools, but for everyone in this country who stands to lose so much if these experts are effectively banned from entering the U.S.”

South Asian American Justice Collaborative:

“South Asians make up the majority of H-1B workers and are part of the fabric of America, staffing rural hospitals, advancing lifesaving research, and driving innovation in businesses across the country. This unlawful fee threatens workers, their families, and the financial and social wellbeing of the communities in which they live,” said Kalpana V. Peddibhotla, Executive Director of the South Asian American Justice Collaborative 

IMMpact Litigation:

“It’s an incredible honor to represent our courageous plaintiffs seeking justice for themselves and, where applicable, all their workers regardless of their immigration status. This is not about us and them, it’s about our America and the preservation of our amazing workforce of talented individuals from around the world,” said Jesse Bless, Member, IMMpact Litigation.