The US Chamber of Commerce is reportedly considering filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration after President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas. The decision has triggered widespread concern among Indian and other foreign nationals who form a significant part of the US workforce, particularly in the technology sector that heavily relies on H-1B visa holders.
According to a Bloomberg report, officials from the country’s largest business lobby have been actively polling member companies to gauge support for legal action. People familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Chamber has sought feedback from corporations through a series of phone calls and Zoom meetings to evaluate the prospects of litigation.
If the case moves forward, it would mark only the second time the US Chamber of Commerce has directly clashed with Donald Trump. The Chamber, considered the nation’s most powerful business group, represents companies including Amazon, Alphabet, and Google. So far, it has largely avoided confrontation with Trump during his second term and even refrained from joining legal challenges against his tariffs.
The last time the Chamber went to court against Trump was in 2020, when his administration suspended the issuance of new nonimmigrant visas. At that time, the Chamber called the policy “bad for business” and filed a lawsuit, ultimately winning when a federal court struck down the restrictions.
Responding to the latest controversy, 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 further 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 introducing the $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications. Justifying the move, Trump stated, “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,” anticipating a positive reaction from the tech industry.
