OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The state won a court ruling against the Trump administration this week before launching yet another lawsuit.

A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on Monday, June 8, that the administration illegally imposed a $100,000 tax on new H-1B visa applications.

The decision eliminates the tax, which Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said created barriers for state agencies, public universities and public colleges seeking to hire high-skilled foreign workers for specialty occupations.

Meanwhile, the Washington Attorney General’s Office joined 18 other states in suing the Trump administration on Wednesday, Jun 10, over its latest effort to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The states claim a new directive is barring federal contractors—including state agencies—from engaging in what the administration calls “racially discriminatory DEI activities.”

They argue in their lawsuit that the new terms are vague and confusing, while threatening severe penalties for contractors that have no clear guidance.