Story perspectives

Trump Administration Appeals $100K H-1B Fee Tax Ruling

6/23/2026

Center

Trump Administration Appeals

The administration argues the $100,000 H-1B fee serves as an immigration restriction protecting U.S. workers, not a revenue-raising tax.
President Donald Trump's administration appealed court ruling voiding the $100,000 H-1B visa fee, with the case before the First Circuit.
Judge Leo Sorokin ruled the fee was an unauthorized tax and vacated it.
The One Big Beautiful Bill set the standard deduction at $16,100 single and $32,200 married.

Left

Trump Tax Loophole

A watchdog report warns that House crypto tax bills would let firms defer taxes indefinitely, subsidizing President Donald Trump’s sons.
District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled the fee was a tax without congressional approval and vacated it under Administrative Procedure Act.
Eric and Donald Trump Jr. hold 20% of Bitcoin, which mined 817 coins in Q1 2026.
Rep. Steven Horsford received $2 million in crypto donations since 2023, the highest on Ways-Means Committee.

Blindspot

Center coverage noted that analysts warn the Social Security trust fund could run out by 2033 and that raising payroll taxes to 15.9% by 2035 might close the gap, which Left coverage omitted.
Center coverage also reported the administration’s argument that the $100,000 H-1B fee is an immigration restriction, a detail absent from Left coverage.

History

Historical Context

The Immigration Act of 1990, signed by President George H. W. Bush after Senator Ted Kennedy’s 1989 proposal, set a 65,000-visa annual cap and a $1,000 employer fee for H-1B workers, projecting $65 million in revenue. Decades later, the Trump administration’s $100,000 surcharge faced a 2023 federal court challenge by Judge Leo Sorokin, reviving the fee-vs-tax debate.

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Trump Administration Appeals

The administration argues the $100,000 H-1B fee serves as an immigration restriction protecting U.S. workers, not a revenue-raising tax.
President Donald Trump's administration appealed court ruling voiding the $100,000 H-1B visa fee, with the case before the First Circuit.
Judge Leo Sorokin ruled the fee was an unauthorized tax and vacated it.
The One Big Beautiful Bill set the standard deduction at $16,100 single and $32,200 married.

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