For people seeking work or an escape to a better life in the United States, it's going to cost about two times the current amount, following a move by the Trump administration to hike fees on various immigration applications.
Michelle Mendez, director of defending vulnerable programs at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), calls the move an assault on immigration.
"This rule, these fees that have increased will make it extremely difficult for individuals to become legal immigrants, specifically to become naturalized immigrants, to become citizens," Mendez told Cheddar.
The new fees, which are set to be increased in October, will also gravely impact the world's most at-risk populations seeking asylum in the U.S., Mendez added.
"$50 may seem to be a small fee for many of us. We have to understand that asylum seekers leave their countries, they flee their countries with practically nothing," she said.
While news of the increased fees may be looked on as damning, Mendez said the move is on par with the Trump administration's previous moves to eliminate "access to the legal immigration process."
"During the [presidential] campaign, the rhetoric was very much focused on illegal immigration. We knew that that actually meant they were going to attack illegal and legal immigration," she said.
For Mendez, the idea of increasing fees and making the process even more difficult for people who want to become American is a jab at the foundation upon which the country was built.
"When we limit the opportunity for people to be engaged in the process by being citizens, that really undermines our democracy. That really undermines our democratic process," she stated.
Rukmani Bhatia, Senior Federal Affairs Manager at Giffords, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the importance of regulating ghost guns as a way to curb U.S. gun violence, which kills more than 40,000 Americans every year.
Gary Schlossberg, Global Strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the dire situation caused by Russia's war on Ukraine, as the region is key for exporting grains and corn, and as the UN Food & Agriculture Organization says food prices rose to the highest levels ever in March.
Christine McDaniel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down the long list of sanctions that the U.S. has levied against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, and the impact - or lack thereof - they are having on Russia.
President Joe Biden is taking fresh aim at “ghost guns" and also announced the nomination of Steve Dettlebach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the ATF.
Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss her newest mini-series on REAL SIMPLE's Money Confidential podcast, called 'Taxes in 10.'
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, social media giant Meta said that it's using its technology to help the beleaguered nation Erin Egan, chief privacy officer, and Andrew Schroeder, vice president of research and analysis for direct relief, joined Cheddar News to discuss using data towards humanitarian relief. "Our goal with the program is to help organizations on the ground by sharing privacy-protected data sets to enable them to respond to crisis," Egan explained.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 11, 2022, with updates on the Russia-Ukraine War, France’s presidential election, the record deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest, retail giant Amazon's objection to the Staten Island union vote, the worsening baby formula shortage, a lawsuit against Rutgers Law School, and a stomach illness possibly linked to Lucky Charms cereal.
Between Bells executive producer Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, and teaches Baker Machado and Hena Doba a thing or two at the same time. It's This Week In Trivia!
