The new “big and beautiful” budget, tax, and border security bill allocates more than $170 billion for deportation policy, hiring agents, and approximately 700 miles of border wall.
But one aspect that has gone unnoticed is that it increases the price of several immigration services, which could make it more expensive for a person to advance their immigration status in the United States.
The new fee scheme proposed by the federal government imposes unprecedented costs on migrants, many of whom are in extremely vulnerable situations.
Perhaps the most emblematic of these new fees is the one that taxes $100 on anyone who applies for asylum, plus another $100 annually while their application is pending.
Historically, the United States has avoided charging for this fundamental right, recognizing that those fleeing persecution often do so without resources.
Immigration lawyers believe that with this measure, the country is moving away from the spirit of humanitarian refuge and turning it, de facto, into a service contingent on purchasing power.
The law also establishes a new minimum fee of $1,000 for immigrants granted temporary entry to the United States for reasons of “humanitarian or significant public interest.”
The cost of a work permit, a vital tool for those awaiting an immigration decision, will increase to $550 for the initial application and $275 for each renewal.
Those on humanitarian parole must pay $1,000; and migrant adolescents under the age of 21 who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected must pay a minimum of $250 to apply for special immigrant juvenile status.
As if that weren’t enough, a new “apprehension fee” will be imposed: $5,000 for any person deemed inadmissible and detained between ports of entry. In addition, those who miss an immigration hearing must pay another $5,000 upon being detained.
Other increases will have a more silent but massive impact on visitors, temporary workers, and foreign students. The Form I-94 application will increase from $6 to $30, the cost of a nonimmigrant visa will rise to $250, and the Visa Waiver Program (for allied countries such as Spain, France, and Japan) will double its cost to $40.
Even certain Chinese citizens will have to pay an additional $30 fee just to keep their information updated online.
Taken together, these measures reflect a new paradigm: one where migrating or requesting protection is a high-cost right, that is, a privilege.
Their real impact will be the systematic exclusion of the poorest and most needy. A country that offered refuge now demands an advance payment. Dreaming the American dream was never easy. Today, it’s a luxury beyond the reach of the most vulnerable.
