20,000 signatures reached
To: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Demand USCIS Cancel Their New Policy to Charge Asylum Applicants $50
On Friday, July 31st, 2020, USCIS updated their rulings to include a $50 application fee that asylum seekers must pay in order to apply for protections. The USA is now just one of four countries to charge applicants seeking asylum, many of which who are fleeing violence and/or poverty. This petition then demands:
- USCIS IMMEDIATELY rolls-back their new policy to charge $50 for applicants of asylum.
- Local, state, and congressional elected leaders/public servants call for the immediate cancellation of said policy.
Why is this important?
This move by the USCIS under Donald Trump is the latest attempt to target and restrict people who are fleeing their home countries. The vary nature of asylum is humanitarian, that is, seeking and being granted asylum in the world’s most powerful country should be done with ease. One asylum officer, interviewed by Buzzfeed News, has said anonymously, “ The larger problem is that humanitarian applications by their nature should be free. The idea of charging people who are fleeing — and not helping if they don't pay up — is disgusting.” Additionally, it is noted by USCIS that the implementation of this charge is going to be used to cover their own costs, and are necessary. However, USCIS has also upped charges for those seeking to apply for citizenship- a change from $640 to $1,170. The organization is very obviously stable financially, and this attempt to endanger millions of people must be stopped.