One federal judge certainly thinks so. District Judge Leo Sorokin struck down Trumpās H-1B fee increase, ruling that the āsubstance and applicationā of the policy āreveal that it is a tax, regardless of what the payment is called.ā
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Reuters that the administration plans on appealing the ruling.
In a 135-page opinion, Judge John J. McConnell, of Rhode Island vacated four Trump administration policies severely restricting legal immigration, including a visa ban affecting nationals of 39 āhigh riskā countries.McConnell said that US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that handles legal immigration, implemented the policy āwith pre textual concerns of ānational securityā that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making.ā
404 Media sued ICE to get documents related to its $2 million contract with the spyware company Paragon. In response, ICE sent back heavily redacted documents that provide little insight into the surveillance tool, which can be used to remotely hack peopleās phones without their knowledge ā and can even break into their encrypted messaging apps.
ICE has publicly hinted that they need the software to combat international drug cartels. But as with all border security tools, thereās always a chance itāll be turned inward.
