WASHINGTON, D.C., December 13 (ANI): Several decisions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump are facing legal challenges, including the recent hike in H-1B visa fees, with 20 U.S. states opposing the move in court, foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev said.
Speaking to ANI, Sachdev noted that many of Trump’s policy decisions are being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court, largely by Democratic-led states.
“About 20 states of the United States have challenged the H-1B visa fee, which the Trump administration has jacked up to $100,000 for the first time. This underscores that many of Trump’s decisions are being challenged in the courts. In fact, almost every decision of Trump has been challenged, but many of those decisions are being upheld by the courts,” he said.
The United States has witnessed an intense debate over the H-1B visa fee hike, with 20 Democratic-led states challenging President Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. Corporations and state governments have opposed the move, citing concerns about its impact on businesses and the broader economy.
Sachdev said the political divide was evident in the opposition. “The states that have challenged Trump on this H-1B visa fee are all Democratic. Obviously, they are in opposition to the Republican Party, which is Trump’s party. They would certainly seek to oppose Trump’s policies. But fundamentally speaking, the fee that Trump has imposed for the first time is definitely very, very steep, and the protests include 20 states, including California,” he said.
The fee increase has triggered widespread dissent, with critics questioning its impact on American businesses. Three Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have also introduced a resolution to terminate Trump’s national emergency declaration, citing harm to workers, consumers, and bilateral trade relations.
“Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a resolution saying that the 50 percent tariffs of Trump should be removed. But a couple of things are there. One, in the House of Representatives, Democrats do not have a majority. It is the Republicans who dominate the House,” Sachdev said.
On Friday (local time), Representatives Deborah Ross, Marc Veasey, and Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced a resolution to terminate President Trump’s national emergency declaration that imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on imports from India, calling the measures illegal and harmful to American workers, consumers, and bilateral ties. The move follows a bipartisan Senate effort to end similar tariffs on Brazil and restrict the President’s use of emergency powers to raise import duties.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed in a Massachusetts federal court argues that the H-1B visa fee hike is unlawful and exceeds the administration’s authority. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the fee would impose unnecessary financial burdens on providers of essential services such as education and healthcare, worsening labor shortages.
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty fields and is heavily relied upon by the technology sector. Critics argue that the fee increase would disproportionately affect Indian professionals, who are estimated to hold nearly 70 percent of H-1B visas.
Sachdev also pointed to the impact of Trump’s trade policies on American businesses, saying small and medium-sized enterprises have been hit hard by the 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports.
“These congressmen are responding to their constituents because grassroots businesses in America are suffering. Politicians act when they realize that businesses in their constituencies are hurting, and Trump’s tariffs are hurting their business,” he said.
The Trump administration has defended the fee hike as a measure to prevent abuse of the H-1B visa system and protect American workers. However, business groups and major corporations maintain that the program is essential to addressing shortages of qualified domestic talent.
“They are articulating it because grassroots American businesses are suffering due to the 50 percent tariffs on India. Many businesses import from India and sell within the United States, and they are losing business,” Sachdev said.
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