Published Jun 09, 2026 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 09, 2026 | 9:00 AM
US President Donald Trump
Synopsis: A United States federal judge struck down a $100,000 fee that President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement that the Trump administration is confident that Sorokin’s order will be reversed on appeal.
A United States federal judge on Monday, 8 June, struck down a $100,000 fee that President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, concluding that it constituted an unlawful tax Congress never authorised.
US District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston issued the ruling in a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging a fee Trump announced in September 2025 that dramatically raised the cost of obtaining H-1B visas, which tech companies, in particular, rely heavily on to bring on foreign workers.
The H-1B programme in the US offers 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees, each approved for three to six years. Before Trump’s order, an employer seeking a visa for a foreign worker typically paid about $2,000 to $5,000 in fees depending on various factors.
Also Read: US President Trump’s H1B visa shocker! Imposes $100,000 in fees
The judge cited the US Supreme Court’s ruling in February this year, striking down Trump’s sweeping tariffs he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies. Under the logic of the justices’ decision in that case, Trump similarly had no authority under immigration law to levy a tax, Sorokin said.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement that the Trump administration is confident that Sorokin’s order will be reversed on appeal.
“President Trump has clear legal authority to restrict entry of any class of aliens he determines is not in America’s best interests, and that is exactly what he did,” she said.
Following the order, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a post on X, “We won our case against the Trump administration for trying to destroy the H-1B visa program. Thousands with these visas serve New Yorkers as doctors, teachers, and other skilled workers. I’ll keep fighting to protect them and our immigrant communities.”
