CAA Denounces USCIS Fee Increases, Creating a Wealth Test for Immigrants

San Francisco, CA–Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) denounces the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to drastically increase immigration and naturalization fees for programs administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The fee increase constitutes an undue financial burden for non-citizens, and exacerbates dysfunction within an already broken US immigration system.

Despite widespread opposition from civil rights, non-profit, and community-based organizations, the fee hike will take effect in the Trump Administration starting on October 2, 2020. Among the changes, the Administration will institute an 80% fee increase for non-citizens seeking to naturalize, and will implement an application fee for asylum seekers. CAA joined more than 30,000 others to submit public comments to oppose the rule change during the review period.

“The Trump Administration is transparent about its white nationalist agenda, and immigrants are painted into a corner. The fee hike will disproportionately impact immigrants of color from working-class families, and place a chronic financial strain on immigrants when conducting basic administrative business with USCIS. While immigrants continue to struggle to make ends meet, they risk being scrutinized by draconian immigration systems and the path to citizenship is now de facto reserved for those with financial means.” said Hong Mei Pang, CAA Director of Advocacy.

“There are only three other countries on this planet that enact an asylum fee on those who are fleeing persecution and violence. We rebuke the racist impetus behind this policy. The Trump Administration has signaled a blatant disregard for human dignity, especially considering the plethora of hardships that asylees already have to endure in their journey for sanctuary.” said Jose Ng, Immigrant Rights Program Manager.

CAA will be hosting a virtual workshop to update the community with the USCIS fee change final rule and the two recent public charge injunctions and their implications on immigrant communities on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 4pm. Community members who are interested in participating, or have questions about how you might be impacted by public charge are encouraged to contact CAA’s Immigrant Rights program at 415.761.3222 for general inquiry and legal referrals.