Trump admin's 'pay-to-play' Gold Card visa program is 'unlawful' and harms more qualified applicants, lawsuit says
Source: Law & Crime
Feb 4th, 2026, 7:17 am
The Trump administration is unlawfully prioritizing wealth over talent through the so-called "Gold Card" visa program, plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday claim.
The federal government, by way of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and several other agencies, implemented President Donald Trump's preferred expedited visa program in which individuals pay $1 million for priority immigration consideration late last year.
In December 2025, DHS began accepting applications and the Commerce Department began accepting payments for the controversial program, agency actions quickly effectuating a September 2025 executive order entitled "The Gold Card."
Now, in a 36-page lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a membership organization, and several individual academics from across the globe say the pricey program is "unlawful for several independent reasons."
Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/privileges-wealthy-immigrants-over-others-trump-admins-pay-to-play-gold-card-visa-program-is-unlawful-and-harms-more-qualified-applicants-lawsuit-says/
Full headline:
'Privileges wealthy immigrants over others': Trump admin's 'pay-to-play' Gold Card visa program is 'unlawful' and harms more qualified applicants, lawsuit says
Link to AAUP
SUIT (PDF) -
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.289000/gov.uscourts.dcd.289000.1.0.pdf