A US district judge has invalidated President Donald Trump’s $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, ruling it unconstitutional and a violation of federal administrative law. The decision, issued by Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston, stems from a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging the fee hike announced in September. The fee, originally set at a fraction of the new cost, was intended to deter foreign labor competition but was deemed an unlawful tax by the court.
What’s Next?
The Trump administration is widely expected to appeal the ruling, which vacates the fee increase that aimed to prioritize American workers over foreign professionals. The case highlights ongoing tensions between policies favoring domestic labor and globalist approaches to workforce expansion.
The ruling vacated the sweeping fee, which was a 20-to-50 fold increase on existing rates.
As immigration policies continue to dominate national discourse, this decision underscores the legal and constitutional limits of executive action in shaping economic nationalism.