A federal judge struck down the $100,000 fee imposed by Trump for H-1B visas, deeming it an illegal tax without authorization from Congress.

The district judge Leo Sorokin from Boston on Monday canceled the $100,000 fee that President Donald Trump imposed for H-1B visas, necessary for highly skilled foreign workers.

The decision came following a lawsuit filed by 20 attorneys general from Democratic states, who challenged the fee, considering it an unauthorized illegal tax by Congress. The H-1B program annually offers 65,000 visas, plus 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees, and the fee announced by Trump significantly increased the costs of obtaining these visas, thus discouraging applications.

Until February, only 85 payments of the exorbitant fee had been received. The administration argued that the fee represents a penalty that the president can impose, but Sorokin concluded that it is, in fact, a tax, without legal authorization.