Washington, June 8 -- A US federal judge on Monday (local time) blocked a proposal by President Donald Trump to impose a USD 100,000 fee on employers seeking to hire foreign workers for specialised roles under the H-1B visa programme.

According to Politico, US District Judge Richard Stearns ruled that the president's proposed payments for H-1B visa applications introduced through a September 2025 proclamation and swiftly implemented by the US State Department and the US Department of Homeland Security violated the principle of separation of powers.

Trump and his allies have argued that the program has been exploited to bypass or lay off American workers in favour of hiring foreign employees for lower wages.

"Abuses of the H-1B program ...