Court Blocks $100,000 H-1B Fee While Appeal Proceeds. On July 24, 2026, the U.S Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the Trump administration’s request to stay, pending appeal, a June 8, 2026, decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts that struck down President Donald Trump’s September 2025 $100,000 H-1B proclamation. The court of appeals denied the stay request, finding that the administration had failed to make a strong showing of a likelihood of success on the merits of the appeal. Like the district court, the court of appeals determined that the presidential proclamation and its implementing materials exceeded the authority granted to the executive branch by Congress, as no provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act “references the imposition of the kind of payment requirement at issue.” Accordingly, the federal government is prohibited from collecting the $100,000 fee while the administration’s merits appeal continues. Katherine C. MacIlwaine, Nicole Fink, and Kara Goray have the details.
Senate Committee Approves Sonderling for Permanent Labor Secretary Role. On July 30, 2026, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions advanced the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor. Sonderling continues to serve as the acting secretary of labor, a role he assumed in April 2026 upon the resignation of former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Sonderling is an attorney who previously served as a...
Acting Cebu City Prosecutor Jo-ana Marie Desuyo charged Cebu-based businessman Mark Y. Yu with perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code over false statements in an affidavit accusing t...