Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 19 states in suing the Trump administration over what they say is an unlawful policy regarding H-1B visas.

Brown said the new fee would create a costly barrier for employers, especially in the public sector. He said the policy is a clear violation of the law because it imposes a massive fee outside of the bounds of what is authorized by Congress.

In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation ordering a $100,000 dollar fee for new H-1B visa petitions.

While he didn’t name Microsoft in the proclamation, Trump said one software company was approved for over 5,000 H-1B workers in 2025. Around the same time, it was announced a series of layoffs totaling more than 15,000 employees.

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