WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—A United States (US) federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing a $100,000 fee on employers filing visa applications for foreign highly-skilled workers.

District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled in a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic-ruled states that the move usurped taxation powers held by Congress and the fee for the H-1B visas constituted an unlawful tax.

“The substance and application of the $100,000 payment reveal that it is a tax, regardless of what the payment is called,” Sorokin wrote in his 42-page ruling.