The Trump administration proposed a $103,265 fee on new H-1B visa applications, marking its second attempt to impose a six-figure surcharge after a federal judge struck down a $100,000 fee enacted by presidential proclamation in June. The administration is now pursuing the fee through the formal regulatory process, which includes a 30-day public comment period. The rule would apply to most new applications subject to the annual H-1B cap while exempting universities, nonprofits, and government research organizations. The Department of Homeland Security says the fee would fund immigration enforcement and discourage employers from hiring foreign workers instead of qualified Americans. Critics contend that it could drive jobs overseas. Research by Wharton professor Britta Glennon found that companies unable to hire H-1B workers tend to expand their foreign operations rather than increase domestic hiring. DHS itself estimates that 76% of small businesses currently sponsoring H-1B employees would be unable to afford the fee.

Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 3086, enabling the Illinois State Treasurer to invest public funds in pooled investment trusts like the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, which finances housing projects built with union labor. Eligible trusts must hold more than $1 billion in assets and have voting trustees who are officers or employees of a national labor federation or an affiliated union. Pritzker described the law as part of his Building Up Illinois...

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