Activist First Circuit Denies Trump Stay — $100,000 H-1B Fee Blocked, Opening Floodgates for Cheap Foreign Labor Over American Workers
July 26, 2026
According to USCIS data, India consistently accounts for the highest share of H-1B visa approvals, representing approximately 70% to 73% of all approved beneficiaries annually. (AI-Generated Image)
A three-judge panel of the radical First Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to keep President Trump’s landmark $100,000 H-1B visa payment requirement in effect while the government appeals a lower court ruling that tossed it out.
Sorokin, an Obama appointee, had ruled that the fee exceeded executive authority under the Administrative Procedure Act and was unconstitutionally ultra vires.
President Trump issued Proclamation 10973 on September 19, 2025, specifically to stop the rampant abuse of the H-1B program.
The proclamation found that employers had used the system to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor, driving down wages and undermining economic and national security.
It required the $100,000 payment to accompany new H-1B petitions for workers outside the United States, with limited exceptions for national interest cases. DHS and State Department officials then implemented the policy through fee schedules, FAQs, and related actions.
The 20 Democrat-led states that sued, California, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, claimed the fee would hurt their ability to staff public colleges, universities, schools, and healthcare systems.
Judge Sorokin agreed with the blue-state plaintiffs. He vacated the policy in full.
The Trump administration asked both the district court and then the First Circuit to stay that order pending appeal so the policy could remain in effect. The district court refused a full stay but granted a temporary administrative pause while the emergency motion was pending. On July 24, the First Circuit rejected the government’s request entirely.
The First Circuit panel, Chief Judge David J. Barron (Obama), Gustavo A. Gelpí (Biden), and Julie Rikelman (Biden), claimed the administration failed to make a “strong showing” it was likely to succeed on the merits.
They focused almost entirely on the claim that the $100,000 payment was an unauthorized tax-like burden requiring a clear congressional delegation, citing cases like Skinner while brushing aside the president’s broad statutory power under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182(f) and 1185(a) to restrict the entry of aliens deemed detrimental to U.S. interests.
This is the same H-1B program The Gateway Pundit has repeatedly exposed as a scam that imports lower-paid foreign labor, often in IT and tech, to replace Americans.
Companies have taken thousands of H-1B approvals while laying off U.S. workers. The $100,000 fee was designed to force employers to value American talent instead of treating the visa system as a cheap labor pipeline.
OBAMA JUDGE PROTECTS PORTLAND’S BIASED POLICING: Rules Trump DOJ Acted in “Bad Faith” and with “Unclean Hands” for Demanding Records on Anti-Conservative Viewpoint Discrimination at ICE Protests
July 26, 2026
Conservative journalist Katie Daviscourt (left) displays a black eye after being struck in the face with a flagpole outside Portland’s ICE facility, while journalist Nick Sortor (right) is taken into custody by Portland police following a separate confrontation at the facility.
An Obama-appointed federal judge has handed Portland’s far-left political machine a major legal victory, denying the Trump Justice Department’s attempt to obtain police body-camera footage and internal records tied to allegations of anti-conservative viewpoint discrimination.
U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon rejected the Justice Department’s motion to compel Portland officials to turn over evidence connected to protests outside the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
Simon accused the DOJ of acting in “bad faith and with unclean hands” and claimed the department’s request appeared intended to intimidate the Portland Police Bureau.
“The Court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the United States has brought this motion in bad faith and with unclean hands,” Simon wrote in his July 24 opinion. He added that the purported reasons for the nearly 30 document requests were “pretext.”
The extraordinary ruling effectively shields Portland officials from having to comply with the DOJ’s 29 demands for body-camera footage, police reports, complaints, internal communications, and other records—at least through this motion under Portland’s longstanding police-reform settlement.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Dhillon sent a scathing letter to Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor and Police Chief Bob Day following the controversial arrest of conservative journalist Nick Sortor.
Sortor was arrested outside Portland’s ICE facility in October 2025 after he said Antifa terrorists shoved him into a flower bed, damaged his camera, and threw punches at him.
Instead of arresting his attackers, Portland police handcuffed Sortor and charged him with disorderly conduct. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reportedly dropped the charge days later.
The DOJ was also investigating Portland police’s handling of the reported assault on conservative journalist Katie Daviscourt, who was struck in the face with a flagpole outside the ICE facility and left with a black eye.
In its October 3 letter, the Justice Department demanded:
Body-camera footage connected to the reported assault on Daviscourt.
Incident reports, arrest reports, force reports, and after-action reviews.
Complaints concerning the police response to both incidents.
Internal communications concerning Portland’s zoning actions against the ICE facility.
Communications containing directions to officers responding to demonstrations outside the facility.
Dhillon sent a second letter on October 29 containing 22 additional demands.
The DOJ argued that the records were necessary to determine whether Portland police had violated a provision of the city’s consent decree requiring the bureau to apply its policies uniformly and hold officers accountable.
But Simon refused to order Portland to comply.
The consent decree originated from a 2012 Justice Department lawsuit accusing Portland police of using unnecessary or excessive force against people suffering from mental illness or experiencing a mental-health crisis.
Simon declared that the case “has never been about viewpoint discrimination, or even any issues arising under the First Amendment.”
“If, as the United States then argued, claims that Portland Police Officers may have engaged in a pattern of excessive force against persons of color were ‘outside the scope’ of this lawsuit, it is difficult to accept the United States’ current assertion that alleged political viewpoint discrimination is within the scope of the current action,” Simon wrote.
However, the judge acknowledged that whether the DOJ possessed authority under the agreement to investigate potential viewpoint discrimination presented a “close question” of contract interpretation.
Rather than decide that question, Simon invoked the equitable doctrine of unclean hands and accused the Justice Department of pursuing the records for an improper purpose.
Simon pointed to the timing of the DOJ’s first demand letter, which was sent on October 3, 2025, the same day Judge Karin Immergut heard Oregon and Portland’s request to block President Trump’s National Guard deployment.
Two high-ranking Portland police officials had submitted declarations supporting Oregon and Portland in that separate lawsuit.
“To the Court, this reasonably appears to be a not-so-subtle signal from the United States Department of Justice to the Portland Police Bureau that if it continued to assist the plaintiffs in the case of Oregon v. Trump, the United States Department of Justice could make matters quite difficult, burdensome, and expensive for the Portland Police Bureau,” Simon claimed.
The Obama judge also seized on Dhillon’s social-media response after Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a full investigation into Sortor’s arrest.
“That is neither language nor tone of a good faith investigation by the United States Department of Justice,” he wrote. “Instead, it exhibits all the hallmarks of a threat and attempted intimidation.”
Simon also cited Dhillon’s repost of a message stating that Judge Immergut “must be impeached,” calling that statement “threatening conduct” as well.
The optics surrounding Simon’s ruling are impossible to ignore.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Simon recused himself from Oregon’s National Guard lawsuit after the Trump administration raised concerns about public comments made by his wife, Democrat Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, opposing the troop deployment.
That National Guard lawsuit was subsequently assigned to Judge Immergut.
Simon nevertheless continued overseeing the separate Portland police consent-decree case and has now used Portland’s challenge to the National Guard deployment as a central reason for accusing the Trump DOJ of retaliation.
The ruling does not determine whether Portland police actually engaged in viewpoint discrimination. It does not exonerate the bureau over its handling of Sortor’s arrest or the reported assault on Daviscourt.
It only denies the Justice Department’s attempt to compel the records through the existing consent decree.
In other words, the allegations that Portland police treated conservative journalists differently from violent far-left agitators remain unanswered, while Portland keeps the records out of the DOJ’s hands.
For context, Michael H. Simon is the same judge who issued a temporary restraining order earlier this year barring federal officers from using tear gas, pepper balls, and other crowd-control munitions at Portland’s ICE facility, even as protesters escalate their attacks on federal agents and the facility.
FBI Most Wanted COVID Fraud Fugitive Busted in Jamaica While Using a Fake Identity – Allegedly Stole More Than $32 MILLION in Pandemic Relief Funds
July 26, 2026
Elaine Angene Escoe Credit: Federal Bureau of Investigation
The FBI has made a major arrest tied to the massive taxpayer-funded COVID-19 fraud that has proliferated throughout America.
As Fox News reported, Jamaican authorities captured 41-year-old Elaine Angene Escoe after catching her living under a fake name “Harley Newman.” Escoe had been avoiding charges tied to a $32 million pandemic relief fraud scheme.
Escoe returned to South Florida on Thursday after being arrested in the manhunt.
Prosecutors allege she helped fraudulently obtain more than $32 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds before fleeing the country after failing to appear in federal court.
Escoe was indicted in 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Federal prosecutors said a judge issued an arrest warrant after Escoe failed to appear in court in May 2025. Authorities allege she fled to Jamaica, where she was later located and arrested after the FBI received a tip.
Escoe is the fourth “Most Wanted Fraudster” captured in the past five weeks as part of the FBI’s international fraud crackdown.
FBI Director Kash Patel released the following statement following Escoe’s arrest:
The historic success of the ‘Most Wanted Fraudster’ list continues as the FBI and our partners just captured our fourth Most Wanted Fraudster in 5 weeks, and yet another high-value target returned to the U.S. by the FBI.
Elaine Angene Escoe, on the run since May 2025, was captured in Jamaica while living under a fake identity of ‘Harley Newman’ — and returned to the United States today to face justice.
Under this administration, fraud is no longer tolerated — and those who steal from American taxpayers have nowhere to hide.
Patel also confirmed that Escoe has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Fox News revealed that the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, Jamaican law enforcement, and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office all joined in coordinating Escoe’s return to the U.S.
Gloating Man Posing as Shiloh Hendrix Online Laughs and Brags About Scamming MAGA – Now He May Be Facing Several Years in Prison (VIDEO)
July 26, 2026
The man who posed as Shiloh Hendrix on X and allegedly committed wire fraud. Credit: @ShiHendrixxx X
A man posing as Shiloh Hendrix on X and stealing donations from well-meaning Americans has decided to expose himself to the world. Now, he may be facing some serious criminal charges.
As TGP readers may know, an X account claiming to be owned by Shiloh Hendrix emerged online late Friday, teasing that “she” would be speaking out about the unjust “disorderly conduct” verdict levied against her last week.
The “Shiloh Hendrix” account quickly racked up thousands of followers as it posted about the verdict and talked about double standards against white people.
It also posted a link to a Venmo account to help “her” set up a podcast, along with a PayPal account, in the profile before it was removed.
I refuse to use anything raised for me on givesendgo to assist me outside of my legal battle. That fight is FAR from over. I have my link pinned to the top of my account. That’s the best way to help me fight the system. However for me & my family personally, I’d like to do…
In the afternoon, it was clear thousands had been conned. The real person behind the account came forth, revealing himself as a large black man.
He started by bursting out laughing before bragging for roughly 50 minutes about how he scammed MAGA Republicans with the fake account.
He added that he used the money sent to him to cover personal expenses, including rent, gym membership, and food.
WATCH:
BREAKING: The man behind a fake “Shiloh Hendrix” account on X, now with over 35,000 followers, just went live to brag about scamming MAGA supporters out of money to cover his personal expenses, including rent, a gym membership, and food.
It would be one thing if the man simply used a fake account (which is all too common on X) as a “prank.” But the fact that he solicited donations while posing as someone else should open him up to criminal charges.
Many X users pointed out that the man just pleaded guilty to wire fraud, a major felony that carries up to 20 years in prison.
Many users have already reported the man they believe is responsible to the Indianapolis (where the fraud is allegedly lives) police and the FBI.
The Gateway Pundit has not yet confirmed the identity of the individual.
Attorney Marc Randazza is urging people fooled by this fraud to contact Venmo and dispute the charge.
He also agreed that the man was now in deep legal trouble.
If you were fool enough to venmo: dispute the charge on your app, or you can call Venmo Support directly at 1-855-812-4430. Forward screenshots to phishing@venmo.com
If you used your credit card, you can initiate a chargeback.
Woman’s Sob Story About ICE Arresting Her Illegal Alien Hubby Blows Up in Her Face When the Sinister Truth Emerges
July 26, 2026
Martin Soto and his children. Credit: GoFundMe
A ‘tear-jerking’ story spread by an illegal alien’s wife that caused an anti-ICE hunger strike in Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in New Jersey, has been completely debunked. And the actual story is chilling.
Several outlets previously reported that 31-year-old Peruvian national Martin Soto had been arrested by ICE agents on February 1 while buying diapers for his child. The source for the claims was Martin’s wife, Gabriela.
Gabriela Soto led a hunger strike in May protesting the alleged horrors inside the Newark facility. She claimed that detainees were served meals contaminated with worms and mold.
She also said detainees suffered from gas fumes, inadequate sanitation, and poor medical care.
Gabriela Soto revealed to NJ.com that her ultimate goal was to free her husband and every other detainee.
“If I have a miscarriage because of this pressure, I will sue them,” she said. “I am tired of them controlling the situation. He is in that van. I saw him resisting to get in the van; they forced him in there, two big a** guards.
“He was handcuffed. They were trying to move him.”
The demonstration later spread into widespread protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics and the Trump Administration’s deportation policies.
Gabriela Soto also set up a GoFundMe Account to raise money for her family while her husband was in custody.
But now The Daily Wire’s Jennie Taer has revealed that the story Gariela Soto spread was nothing but a dangerous lie.
The real reason for her husband’s detainment is far more sinister. It turns out that Martin Soto was actually arrested for a horrific domestic assault on another woman.
Martin Soto “purposely” caused “bodily injury” to an unnamed female victim, specifically by using his hands, both opened and closed to strike” her in her face, causing minor scratches and cuts to her face and neck,” a copy of the police report obtained by the Oversight Project and shared with The Daily Wire reads.
Soto then allegedly placed a hand over her mouth so she could not scream for help.
“The public was told a good man was grabbed by ICE while buying diapers, Scott Mechkowski, a visiting fellow for deportation studies at the Oversight Project, told Taer. “The record says he was arrested by Kearny police, handed to Hudson County, taken into ICE custody, and detained at Delaney Hall while charged with assaulting the very woman who then made him a headline.”
“This is the pattern: a sympathetic claim built to go viral, while the facts sit unread in a file. Delaney Hall was inspected and cleared, its officers branded jailers of the innocent on stories that collapse the moment you check the record. This is one example; there are many,” he continued.
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