LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to express its opposition to a proposed federal rule that would increase application fees for U.S. citizenship and charge a fee to asylum seekers for the first time in the country’s history.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf.
“This administration has launched yet another targeted attack against hard-working immigrants by proposing to increase the fee to process citizenship applications by 83 percent in order to price out low-income and working-class immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens,” Solis said.
Under the proposal, the cost for U.S. citizenship applications would rise from $640 to $1,170.
The U.S. would be one of only four nations that charge asylum seekers a fee to seek humanitarian protections, according to Solis. Asylum seekers would be charged a $50 fee to process their application and another $490 for a work permit.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials have defended the change as necessary to cover operational costs.
“USCIS is required to examine incoming and outgoing expenditures, just like a business, and make adjustments based on that analysis. This proposed adjustment in fees would ensure more applicants cover the true cost of their applications and minimizes subsidies from an already over-extended system,” Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of USCIS, said in a statement issued Nov. 8.
Costs have risen to “adjudicate immigration benefit requests, detect and deter immigration fraud, and thoroughly vet applicants,” according to the statement.
Cuccinelli calculated that the higher fees proposed to be charged for a variety of services reflected a weighted average increase of 21%. Current fees would leave the agency underfunded by approximately $1.3 billion annually, according to an analysis submitted to the Federal Register as part of the package for public comments.
USCIS last raised fees in 2017, by a weighted average increase of 21%.
Solis characterized the rule change as contrary to the country’s pledge to aid and protect vulnerable children and families who are fleeing persecution and death threats in their native countries, and said it would serve as a barrier to lawful migration.
Federal officials have also proposed increasing the fee for the renewal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status from $495 to $765.
More than $200 million of the new revenues raised would be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to USCIS.
The county board will also share its opposition with its congressional delegation, submit a public comment in dissent, and monitor legal action to consider joining a court challenge to the proposal.
–
surfside 6 says
Make no mistake, L.A. County goes rougher on local parking violators than they do on this crowd of globe wandering strangers. Strangers that where US national sovereignty is concerned, prove to be systematic lawbreakers! Slickly tap dancing from one US immigration law to the next to break while L.A. County mops up the floor with anyone who gets in their way. Fact is, anytime the County is forced to hold “eee-ma-greents” to account for the littlest of things, “mighty” L.A. folds like a bad hand of poker!
Ron says
How about not let anybody in until we fix the homeless problem. Take care of our own people.
Sick and tired says
Asylum Seekers are getting too much money already and the ones that sneak across the border with our tax money charge them make them go get a damn job and get off of welfare and collecting food stamps and Free Housing they don’t have a job or anything else don’t wear them in
Kiki says
You know nothing stop assuming things just cause your broke and can’t afford what they have makes you a hater.
surfside 6 says
If they plan to stick around the United States very long, they’ll be forced to comply with US laws and protocols at some point whether LA County likes it or not. Because LA County won’t always be there to exempt them. In fact, LA pampering them now only postpones the funeral. Because the day rapidly comes where THEY WILL COMPLY with US and county law like the rest of the nation! And frankly, from compounded data on “eee-ma-greent” law breaking , they aren’t too choked up about compliance at all. They systematically ignore US strict drunk driving laws, mandatory insurance requirements, prostitution solicitation, income tax evasion [underground economy] domestic violence and child support standards and countless other laws. Once they are forced to conform [and they will LA county] they might not be so choked up about seeking “dee-mock-ra-see” afterall.
Ignacio P. says
My parents came here the legal way. So should asylum seekers. And if its going to cost more money to get respectful people in this country, so be it.
BeeGee says
So based on your ignorant comment I guess your parents weren’t asylum seekers then?
Asylum seekers are not regular immigrants, they are people who seek asylum, i.e. they are fleeing violence and death and therefore need a safe place now and not some time later. That’s one difference to regular immigrants. The other one is that asylum seekers usually have to leave everything behind, i.e. all they have are the clothes they wear. This is another difference to regular immigrants.
To conflate them with regular immigrants who immigrate for economic reasons is silly. And it should be obvious why charging asylum seekers for their asylum application is madness because the overwhelming majority of the won’t have $50.
BTW, the requirement for countries to help legitimate asylum seekers is international law. Of course there should be a process to vet them if they are genuine asylum seekers or just economic migrants, and send the latter home. But a non-discriminatory fee which clearly has been introduced to discourage people seeking asylum in the USA (you know, that beacon of freedom which is symbolized by the Statue of Liberty) is just wrong.
Besides, chances are good that your parent wouldn’t have made it into the U.S. under current immigration law. Because legal immigration has been made overcly complex and expensive, unless of course you’re rich ($1M buys you permanent residency) or a professional athlete, artist, actor, musician or a priest.
You must be a Asylum Seeker says
Asylum Seekers just use that for an excuse are criminals trying to be criminals again in this country
Don’t forget they were selling your children so they can get into the United States kick them out
BeeGee says
“Asylum Seekers just use that for an excuse”
Some do, others don’t. That’s what the asylum process is for, to determine if the applicant is an asylum seeker unter international law. If they are they should be granted asylum, and if they are not they should be deported. Simple as that and not really difficult to understand.
By introducing a fee for genuine asylum seekers, the U.S. is violating international law (law, which should be remembered, America was at the forefront when it was established). It’s also a lazy attempt of being seen as “doing something” by those that aren’t too clever or don’t think a lot, or have little grasp about the foundations of this country.
There’s no question that illegal immigration (which is, in majority, economic based) needs to be addressed, and a solution must be found for those already in the country. But that has nothing to do with asylum seekers, which are not illegals, and in many cases aren’t even immigrants (asylum law only requires to provide them with a safe place as long as the danger they were fleeing from exists, and once that’s no longer the case they can be returned to their country of origin).
surfside 6 says
I was attached to US Marine Security Forces that guarded two separate waves of boat people in two different oceans [Tan Son Nhut/Saigon 1975, Mariel 1980]. Asylum seekers at best, are strangers. Strangers that flee “violence and death” one year, but very often spend a big 2 week vacation in the same terrifying place the next. Moreover, most male asylum seekers come from nations at peace. Not at war. They do however flee nations that require mandatory military service. In well…son of a gun! Their age group! The US Asylum system is defect because it is designed to admit life and death emergencies into the country. Not confirming if any emergency was real. If the illegal drug trade vanished tomorrow, many skeptics wonder if US authorities would maintain US ports of entry at all.
BeeGee says
If the vetting process is flawed then it needs to be fixed, period.
But that won’t happen, as the imperfect process means lots of non-genuine asylum seekers are admitted, which is just too valuable for political point scoring.
InDepends says
Ignacio P: We’re grateful and honored that your parents decided to become Americans the right way. You’re obviously a patriot helping to MAGA. Happy Thanksgiving our brother.
BeeGee says
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” – Samuel Johnson
InDepends says
That quote relates to someone using patriotism to obscure unethical behavior. Do you think ALL patriotism is wrong? If so, why don’t you go somewhere else where you think things are better, cause we don’t need your negative, anti-American attitude.
BeeGee says
You are right that the quote was about hiding under the umbrella of patriotism for unethical purposes. And that is exactly what is happening and which leads us to things like charging genuine asylum seekers..
And no, I don’t think (true) patriotism is wrong, I’m just fed up that these days it no longer means serving your country but following the party line.
Besides, if you don’t like what I say, feel free to go to a place where you don’t have to read it. Especially as you seem to have some pretty strong anti-American attitudes yourself, aside from deliousions of grandeur.
Alexis says
All this talk about patriotism. A true patriot doesn’t define himself as a patriot; a true patriot lives his or her patriotism. My father never called himself a patriot, he lived the life of a patriot, and died a patriot. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, a beautiful place.
BeeGee says
Amen to that.
Anni says
Stop making up stories no-one cares how your parents cane here.