Boston Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee
A federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee, saying it was an unauthorized tax without congressional approval. A policy passed last year dramatically increased the fee from $2,000 to $5,000 to give priority to U.S. citizens. The White House plans to appeal the decision.
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A popular US gaming brand owned by Microsoft is facing fury after mass layoffs took place after the company was approved for thousands of foreign work visas.
Microsoft announced it would lay off a total of 4,800 people and 1,600 from the corporation’s XBOX division, which makes and sells its dominant gaming consoles.
Meanwhile, Microsoft was approved to hire 2,273 employer-sponsored nonimmigrant workers from foreign countries this year under the so-called H-1B visa program, according to US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Fierce online critics say American jobs are being unfairly handed over to foreigners in an attempt to cut labor costs, but at the cost of leaving American workers in the lurch.
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Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox, during the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, California, US, Thursday, June 4, 2026. The event brings together leading executives, investors and innovators who are using technology to change the world around us. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“A great way to fix this is to throw anyone who does this in jail,” said one user X. “Fire Americans and replace them with thousands of visa workers? Go straight to prison and have your assets confiscated. This story has been told countless times. Fire American employees and hire foreigners. Again and again”.
“It’s our government’s (sic) fault for approving H-1B,” another social media user lamented. “Our government (sic) took our jobs at home and moved them to other countries.”
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Another user described the H-1B program as “job theft from Americans on an industrial scale.”
Microsoft is the sixth-largest beneficiary of H-1B visas, a program overwhelmingly dominated by Indian workers. The company expects even more H-1B visa applications. Microsoft has employees all over the world, but most of them are located in the United States.
“These decisions are based on business needs, not visa status. H-1B employees have also been impacted by job cuts in the U.S.,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Fox News Digital when asked to comment on the layoffs.
Fans compete in a gaming tournament at the Microsoft Retail Store at the Florida Mall on November 21, 2013 in Orlando, Florida and five other cities across the country for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes and a chance to compete in the final showdown at the Microsoft Store opening in Jacksonville, Florida, with performances from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Tournament finalists will receive an Ultimate Xbox One Gaming House, including all games released that night at each of the six participating stores. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Microsoft) (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Microsoft)
“Every employer benefits from the H-1B visa program,” says the Immigration Reform Project.
The lawmaker even called for a complete end to the nonimmigrant visa program.
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“This is INSANE. LEGAL immigration is a serious issue. These companies, especially big tech, are abusing these immigration programs to replace American workers with foreign workers,” said Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va.
“Not anymore. It’s long past time to put an end to the H-1B scam.”
XBOX CEO Asha Sharma cited the company’s financial health for the layoffs.
“Our business is not healthy today,” Sharma said in the note, according to the Associated Press. “We operate at margins that are 3 to 10 times lower than comparable platforms and publishing companies.”
Sharma added that her strategy is to “reboot” XBOX.
However, some online critics argue that Sharma’s Indian heritage played a role in the Americans being fired, given the percentage of H-1B workers from India. Sharma was born in Wisconsin.
Vice President J.D. Vance announced Tuesday the launch of a major investigation into H-1B visa fraud.
“Today, I am proud to announce that the federal Department of Labor has launched dozens of subpoenas and investigations into foreign scammers attempting to take advantage of the H-1B visa program,” he said during a press conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“American jobs should go to American workers, not foreign scammers, and the Department of Labor is fighting that.”
On September 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders establishing the Trump Gold Card and imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. The Trump Gold Card is a visa program that allows foreign nationals to obtain permanent residence and U.S. citizenship for an investment of $1 million in the United States. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Recently, President Donald Trump attempted to limit employers’ use of the H-1B program by imposing a $100,000 fee on companies filing H-1B applications.
A federal judge overturned the ruling, arguing that it constituted a tax that only Congress had the power to impose.
Peter D’Abrosca is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.