Category World News

A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups has filed a lawsuit seeking to block United States President Donald Trump’s bid to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for high-skilled foreign workers.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday is the first to challenge Trump’s proclamation issued last month announcing the fee.

The United Auto Workers union, American Association of University Professors and other plaintiffs say Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme.

The programme allows US employers to hire foreign workers in speciality fields, and technology companies in particular rely heavily on workers who receive H-1B visas.

Critics of H-1Bs and other work visa programmes say they are often used to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. But business groups and major companies have said H-1Bs are a critical means to address a shortage of qualified American workers.

Employers who sponsor H-1B workers currently typically pay between $2,000 and $5,000 in fees, depending on the size of the company and other factors.

Trump’s order bars new H-1B recipients from entering the US unless the employer sponsoring their visa has made an additional $100,000 payment. The administration has said the order does not apply to people who already hold H-1B visas or those who submitted applications before September 21.

Trump in his unprecedented order invoked his power under federal immigration law to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals that would be detrimental to the interests of the US.

He said that high numbers of lower-wage workers in the H-1B programme have undercut its integrity and that the programme threatens national security, including by discouraging Americans from pursuing careers in science and technology. He said the “large-scale replacement of American workers” through the H-1B programme threatens the country’s economic and national security.

‘Pay to play’

The plaintiffs argue that Trump has no authority to alter a comprehensive statutory scheme governing the visa programme and cannot, under the US Constitution, unilaterally impose fees, taxes or other mechanisms to generate revenue for the US, saying that power is reserved for Congress.

“The Proclamation transforms the H-1B program into one where employers must either ‘pay to play’ or seek a ‘national interest’ exemption, which will be doled out at the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, a system that opens the door to selective enforcement and corruption,” the lawsuit said.

The groups argue that agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services and US Department of State, likewise adopted new policies to implement Trump’s proclamation without following necessary rulemaking processes, and without considering how “extorting exorbitant fees will stifle innovation”.

The H-1B programme offers 65,000 visas annually to employers bringing in temporary foreign workers in specialised fields, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. The visas are approved for a period of three to six years.

Democrats voted down a bill that would have cut healthcare funding, saying it would have hurt the US public.

Republicans claim that the economy is being harmed by Democrats.

Donald Trump claims that by firing federal government employees and cutting spending, he can save money.

He is focusing on what he refers to as the Democrats’ “special projects” that include infrastructure, housing, and environmental initiatives.

Are the cuts being made in the public interest, then?

Who is the shutdown’s worst-hit person? What does all of this mean for the US economy?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Political analyst Eric Ham

Reporter at Federal News Network Drew Friedman

One of the two victims who were killed had a gunshot wound, according to Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Steve Watson, who confirmed the attacker’s death on Friday. Jihad al-Shamie was shot dead at the scene.

According to Watson, “It follows that this injury may have been caused by the urgently needed action my officers took to put an end to this vicious attack,” according to a statement.

After al-Shamie, 35, sped into pedestrians and began stabbing people outside Manchester’s Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holy day of Judaism, two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed during the attack on Thursday.

In the attack, three more people were hurt.

However, according to Watson, Daulby was shot in an attempt to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue, along with another member of the public whose injuries were minor.

Family pays homage

Through Greater Manchester Police, Daulby’s family described him as a “hero” in a tribute.

He was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces, one nephew, and a cherished cousin, according to his family, and tragically lost his life in the courage to save others.

His courageous performance in the end will forever be remembered, they continued.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was heckled by Manchester residents during a vigil held in the rain for the victims, some of whom claimed the government didn’t do enough to stop the spread of anti-Semitism.

The school for my children is closed today, yelled one man. You allowed this to occur. You are all accountable. You have allowed the street and in Manchester to be raped by Jews.

Lammy addressed the community, telling them to “stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us.”

However, one person yelled “you enabled it, every Saturday” in response, making reference to pro-Palestine marches that have regularly occurred since Israel’s war on Gaza started on October 7, 2023.

Additionally, the deputy prime minister was reportedly told to “Leave us alone, go to Palestine.”

Since the start of the war, the UK has seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents, just like other European nations and the United States.

Hamas claims that some aspects of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in Israel’s nearly two-year conflict with Gaza call for further negotiations, but that some aspects do so.

A knowledgeable source told Al Jazeera on Friday that Hamas had given the organization until Sunday to respond to Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

The Palestinian organization stated in a statement that it had agreed to “release all occupation captives, both living and dead,” in accordance with President Trump’s proposal’s exchange formula, including providing the necessary field conditions for the exchange.

It further stated that it was prepared to “discuss the details” of the exchange “immediately through mediators.”

On the basis of Palestinian national consensus and with Arab and Islamic support, the organization added that it was prepared to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats)”.

However, it stated that a “unanimous national position and relevant international laws and resolutions” should be used to decide the aspects of the proposal that concern “the future of the Gaza Strip and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

The statement comes after Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that Hamas would be a “all HELL, like no one has ever seen, will break out against it” if a deal wasn’t reached by Sunday.

Trump’s strategy includes a call for the Hamas to disarm in addition to other issues that were not addressed in the Hamas statement.

Trump’s comments on Hamas’ “acceptance” of his proposal were revealed later on Friday by the White House press secretary.

Leavitt posted a picture of Trump addressing television cameras from his desk in response to Hamas’ acceptance of his peace plan in the “Behind the Scenes in the Oval Office” on X.

More discussions?

The Hamas statement “opened a window for negotiations,” according to Ali Hashem of Al Jazeera. There is a chance for a lot of exchange, he said within the upcoming 48 hours.

Hashem expressed concern for Hamas’ opposition to Blair’s plans for an international transitional body that would oversee post-war Gaza’s governance.

He noted that the Trump plan leaves no chance for a future Palestinian state with the West Bank that Israel has occupied.

They may have a lot of reservations because it, in some ways, isolates Gaza from the entire Palestinian cause. They don’t want Gaza to be cut off from the larger picture, Hashem said.

He said that “the majority of the Arab and Islamic countries” claimed that the paper they signed up to was different from what President Trump had stated. He claimed that Hamas’ reservations “could align with the Arab and Islamic positions.”

The armed group added that it applauded “the efforts of US President Donald Trump and other Arab, Islamic, and international efforts” in bringing the conflict to an end.

“Hamas exhibited a lot of positivity here,” praising President Trump’s initiative and accepting the paper’s spirit. They are demonstrating their willingness to extend their hand in this way,” Hashem said.

The ball is now in President Trump’s court, according to the statement. “They have reservations, they have some points that they want clarification over.”