AG Bonta today joined a multistate amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America v. United States Department of Homeland Security, which are challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful policy imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign national workers in roles that require specialized skills, including as physicians, researchers, nurses, and other vital workers, to alleviate nationwide labor shortages. The new fee would create a costly barrier for employers, especially public sector and government employers, trying to fill these positions. In the brief, the attorneys general urge the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reject the policy, arguing that it is contrary to the public interest, as it would make it harder to address workforce shortages, weaken the economy, and disrupt essential services. Attorney General Bonta separately led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful H-1B policy in a lawsuit filed in December. 

“The Trump Administration’s unprecedented $100,000 visa fee is an attack on our ability to attract the global talent that keeps our universities, schools, and hospitals running. Let me be clear, the H-1B program does not displace domestic workers. Rather, this program strengthens our economy and ensures communities can access essential services, from healthcare to education. By imposing an unlawful and unnecessary financial burden on public employers, this fee threatens to leave vital positions unfilled, with serious consequences for American patients, students, families, and workers. My office has challenged this fee in court, and we won’t stop fighting to protect California’s workforce and public services.” – AG Bonta