From asylum requests to child sponsorships, the new House proposal backed by Trump could price out low-income immigrants and overhaul the U.S. immigration system.
In an unprecedented move, House Republicans have introduced legislation that would impose a $1,000 fee on every asylum application—the first such charge in U.S. history. The sweeping proposal, embedded in a 116-page budget amendment led by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, marks a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, aiming to make legal entry into the country prohibitively expensive for many.
Under the new plan, asylum seekers would face escalating financial burdens:
- $1,000 to file the initial asylum request (Form I-589)
- $100 annually for each year the case is pending
- $550 every six months to maintain work authorization
- $900 to appeal DHS rulings
- $1,050 to request waivers for inadmissibility
Sponsoring unaccompanied minors would also become a luxury few could afford. A $3,500 sponsorship fee would be required upfront, with an additional $5,000 refundable bond only returned if the child is not ordered deported. Total potential cost: $8,500 per child.
Other new fees include:
- $1,500 for status adjustment before a judge
- $500 for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- $250 visa bond for all nonimmigrant applications
- $100 fee for court continuances beyond a year
The proposal also includes $60 billion in immigration enforcement funding, with $45 billion earmarked for detention centers and border infrastructure, $8 billion for hiring thousands of new ICE agents, and $1.25 billion for expanding immigration courts.
Republicans claim the plan is necessary to “restore immigration integrity,” but critics say it’s a direct attack on due process and a fundamental shift away from the United States’ historic promise to shelter the “tired, poor, huddled masses.”
Advocacy groups warn that these financial barriers will shut out low-income asylum seekers, strip due process protections, and further burden an immigration system already overwhelmed with 3.6 million backlogged cases.
While the bill faces a long road through Congress, it is fully backed by the Trump administration, which has made aggressive immigration enforcement a cornerstone of its 2025 agenda. The White House insists the funding is critical for the mass deportation operations promised by former President Trump.
If passed, this legislation could reshape U.S. immigration—by putting a price tag on freedom.
