A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions constitutes an unauthorized tax and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, striking down the policy [4][7][17]. Separately, President Trump formally nominated Todd Blanche — his former personal defense lawyer in the New York hush-money case — to serve as attorney general, a move that drew immediate opposition from Senate Democrats and support from Republican leadership [1][3].

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin found that the substance and manner of the $100,000 payment made it a tax regardless of its label. "The Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress," Sorokin wrote [4]. The ruling cited a prior Supreme Court decision on tariffs as precedent for the principle that the executive branch cannot impose what amounts to a tax without explicit congressional authorization [5][7]. The lawsuit was brought by 20 Democratic state attorneys general [20].

The Department of Homeland Security condemned the decision as "this blatant judicial activism dismantling President Trump's historic efforts for immigration reform" [4]. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated, in remarks reported in Vietnamese by VnExpress: "Tổng thống Trump có thẩm quyền pháp lý rõ ràng để hạn chế việc nhập cảnh của bất kỳ nhóm người nước ngoài nào mà ông xác định là không phù hợp với lợi ích tốt nhất của nước Mỹ" (President Trump has clear legal authority to restrict the entry of any group of foreigners he determines is not in the best interest of America) [5]. Rogers added that the administration believes the ruling will be overturned on appeal [5].

Coverage of the H-1B ruling varied in emphasis by region. French-language reporting in Le Figaro framed the fee as an executive overreach into congressional taxing power and noted relief for the technology sector [13]. Der Spiegel described the ruling as a temporary block on executive overreach, with the government planning an appeal [17]. Gazeta.ru reported the court found the fee to be an unlawful tax imposed without congressional approval [18]. Bloomberg's Japanese-language edition noted the tech industry's dependence on H-1B visas for foreign hiring [19]. Yonhap reported the court found the fee to be an unconstitutional tax [20]. Infobae provided a Spanish-language legal analysis detailing the judge's reasoning on both APA and constitutional grounds [16].

Indian-language and India-focused outlets framed the ruling as a direct benefit for Indian professionals and IT companies. Aaj Tak described the decision as relief — "भारतीय प्रोफेशनल्स और IT कंपनियों को राहत" (Relief for Indian professionals and IT companies) — given that Indian nationals are the largest group of H-1B beneficiaries [14]. The Economic Times reported that NASSCOM, the Indian IT industry trade association, had warned the fee would disrupt business continuity, cost structures, and competitiveness of Indian companies in the U.S. market [15]. U.S. tech-industry-focused reporting had earlier estimated the fee would cost the sector billions of dollars annually and accelerate offshoring of skilled work to India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America [9][10]. VnExpress noted that very few businesses had actually paid the fee before the ruling [5].

On the attorney general nomination, Trump selected Blanche to replace Pam Bondi, who resigned [2]. Blanche has served as acting attorney general for more than a year, during which time he oversaw several actions that Democrats cited as evidence he was acting as Trump's personal lawyer rather than as the nation's chief law enforcement officer [1][3].

Senator Adam Schiff stated: "At every turn, Todd Blanche has been unable to put aside his role as Donald Trump's criminal defense lawyer and represent the American people instead" [3][6]. Senator Chris Van Hollen accused Blanche of interviewing convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell for two days, after which she was moved to a lower-security prison camp with special perks: "Mr Blanche, the record is crystal clear. You are still acting as the president's personal lawyer, not as acting attorney general" [3]. Representative Rosa DeLauro cited memos granting Trump, his children, and their companies immunity from audits or prosecution for tax offenses [3]. Xavier Becerra, a Democratic candidate in the California governor's race, stated: "Todd Blanche doesn't work for the American people. He works for one man" [1].

Republican leaders backed the nomination. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley stated: "I've worked well with acting attorney general Blanche for more than a year and appreciate his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement. Blanche is well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country" [1][2][3]. El Financiero reported that Grassley signaled the committee was already processing the nomination [2]. Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered a more cautious assessment: "He's already serving in the role already, and clearly has experience in it. But this is an environment where nothing is a safe or sure bet" [6].

A smaller set of conditional reservations came from within Republican ranks. Outgoing Senator Thom Tillis called on Blanche to condemn January 6 rioters who attacked police officers as a condition for his confirmation vote [1] and expressed skepticism related to the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey [2]. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, drafted bipartisan legislation to block the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund that Blanche created as acting attorney general [3].

Le Figaro described Blanche as Trump's "consigliere" and emphasized the questions his proximity to the president raises about the independence of the Justice Department [12].

The H-1B case is expected to proceed to an appeals court, which had already fast-tracked the dispute earlier this year [8]. The Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation proceedings for Blanche are underway [6].