By Madlin Mekelburg, Bloomberg News (TNS)

A group of 19 states sued the Trump administration to block a $100,000 fee for any new applications for H-1B visas, which allow employers in the U.S. to hire skilled foreign workers.

The mostly Democrat-led states argue in the suit filed Friday that the fee creates a costly and illegal barrier for employers to use the popular visa program, particularly in the public sector . They also contend that the dollar amount was set arbitrarily and exceeds the fee-setting authority afforded by Congress.

The case is being led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.

“What Congress has never done is authorize a president to impose a six-figure surcharge designed to dismantle the program entirely,” B

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