Highlights:
The US Chamber of Commerce is reportedly considering legal action against the Trump administration following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas. The fee has raised concerns among foreign workers and US companies, particularly in the technology sector, which relies heavily on H-1B visa holders.
According to Bloomberg, officials from the nation’s largest business lobby have been contacting member companies to assess support for a potential lawsuit. Sources familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Chamber has held calls and Zoom meetings with corporations to evaluate the prospects of litigation.
If pursued, this would be only the second time the Chamber has taken legal action against Trump. The organization represents major companies, including Amazon, Alphabet, and Google, and has largely avoided direct confrontation with the administration during Trump’s second term, even abstaining from challenges to his tariff policies.
The Chamber last sued Trump in 2020, when his administration suspended the issuance of new nonimmigrant visas. At the time, the Chamber described the policy as “bad for business” and filed a lawsuit, ultimately winning when a federal court blocked the restrictions.
Chamber spokesperson Matt Letourneau said in a statement that the organization is “examining the legal basis for the proclamation.” He added, “We continue to be inundated with member concerns and are communicating those concerns and questions directly to the administration.” Letourneau also noted, “There was tremendous concern about the prospect that the proclamation could be applied to current visa holders. We are appreciative of the administration’s ongoing clarifications about the scope of this action.”
Last week, Trump signed the order implementing the $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications. Defending the decision, Trump said, “The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour.” He added, “I think they’re going to be very happy,” referring to expected reactions from the tech industry.
