Under the Trump Administration, immigrant communities have borne the brunt of vitriolic hate and persecution. Now, Trump’s latest attempt to ban working class immigrants and immigrants of color has taken the form of a wealth test. Just last month, Trump’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed an unprecedented 21% average increase in immigration application fees affecting DACA renewals, naturalization applications, fiancé petitions and much more.
Among the proposed fee increases: 83% increase for naturalization applications, 79% increase for lawful permanent resident applications, and a 59% increase for DACA renewal applications. In practice, policies like the wealth test make immigration processes inaccessible to those who can’t afford them.
Additionally, if this rule comes into effect, it would establish a new $50 fee for all asylum cases and offer no fee waivers for asylees.
We cannot allow Trump fulfill his white nationalist, anti-immigrant agenda and keep people out of this country.
Not only does USCIS plan to dramatically hike immigration application fees, but it also plans to direct much of the additional revenue -- $112 million annually -- to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). So, these fees are collected from people fleeing unimaginable circumstances to build a better future, only for those same funds to be used to terrorize them.
The Trump administration's consistent abuse of the Congressional budget appropriations process, and pledge from DHS officials to transfer USCIS funds to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will have destructive consequences on immigrant communities.
From public charge to family separation to the Muslim ban, we must oppose racist, classist, and xenophobic laws across the board. That’s why we need you, to sign and send a public comment to USCIS in adamant opposition to USCIS Rule 1615-AC18.
