Who is Phoenix Doe? The Indian researcher cited as an example in the lawsuit over Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee

The Trump administration’s proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas has encountered its first legal obstacle. A coalition of unions, employers, and religious groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco, challenging the fee as an undue burden on skilled international workers. Central to the lawsuit is Phoenix Doe , an Indian postdoctoral researcher, who is being cited as an example of the human impact of the policy, with her career and ongoing scientific work hanging in the balance.

Phoenix Doe: Advancing vision research
Phoenix Doe, a citizen of India residing in the Northern District of California, is at the forefront of research exploring the genetic and epigenetic causes of vision loss. Her work addresses conditions ranging from age-related degeneration and diabetes to rare inherited genetic disorders of unknown origin. The goal is to uncover new diagnostic methods and treatments for blinding conditions, a mission that has placed her at the center of her university’s laboratory as its first postdoctoral scholar. According to the lawsuit, her research program requires at least two more years of her expertise.

“Due to the value of her skills and research expertise in both computational biology as well as wet-lab bench research, her university employer approved her for H-1B sponsorship, and she expected the process to be completed by this December, allowing her to visit her home country for the first time in six years,” the lawsuit stated .

The impact of the fee hike
Instead of proceeding with her visa application, Doe’s university has paused the process indefinitely, citing the new $100,000 fee. The lawsuit details the personal and professional toll this has taken. Doe reportedly suffers stress and anxiety exacerbated by post-traumatic stress disorder, and faces the prospect of leaving her postdoctoral position in the United States within four months.

“Her departure will set back the crucial research she is conducting, disrupt the lab’s ongoing work and ability to secure future research funding, prevent her department from getting any future funding through her, and potentially delay the availability of treatment for the conditions that are the focus of her research,” the lawsuit said.

India and the H-1B program
Indian nationals form the largest group of H-1B visa holders in the United States, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The Trump administration’s fee hike represents a broader effort to overhaul the H-1B program, pressuring companies to prioritize hiring American graduates for entry-level positions. Critics argue that such measures could stifle research innovation and disrupt projects reliant on international expertise.

By using Phoenix Doe as a clear example, the lawsuit not only underscores the human impact of the policy, but also raises broader questions about the future of skilled immigration in the United States. For Phoenix Doe, the case is both personal and consequential, as the outcome may determine whether she can continue her work, and whether the treatments she is pioneering reach patients in need.