Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

A federal judge has struck down one of President Donald Trump’s most aggressive efforts to reform the H-1B visa program.

District Judge Leo Sorokin, an Obama appointee serving on the federal bench in Massachusetts, ruled that the administration lacked the authority to impose a $100,000 fee on employers seeking to hire foreign workers through the program.

Sorokin ruled Monday that the fee violated both federal law and the Constitution.

The decision blocks a Trump administration policy that required employers to pay $100,000 when filing new H-1B visa petitions, a move the White House argued was necessary to discourage abuse of the visa system and protect American workers.