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.
As immigration officials return unaccompanied minors to a controversial Border Patrol facility, Deputy Secretary of the HHS Eric Hargan tells Cheddar, "We are running out of money in our program, and we really need to get the money so that we can provide services for these children."
As the recent push to legalize recreational cannabis in the Empire State failed in the legislature, state Sen. Diane Savino is putting forward the approach of expanding New York's medical marijuana program in order to further normalize the issue.
There are 38 openly gay mayors across the country, according to the Victory Fund, an advocacy group working to elect LGBTQ politicians. Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, was elected in April with an overwhelming 72 percent of votes, becoming the city's first openly gay mayor.
Illinois is now the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana. Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the legalization bill into law on Tuesday, just a few weeks after the proposal was passed by the state legislature.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, June 25, 2019.
Green Growth Brands has added another retail veteran to its team. A former executive at Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein, Jann Parish joins the CBD-infused beauty and skincare company as chief marketing officer, as it seeks to tap into the cultural movement surrounding cannabis and hemp.
Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is hoping to break through on the Democratic Primary debate stage Wednesday night by emphasizing his Ohio working class bona fides.
Companies from every sector of the economy are celebrating Pride this month with rainbow logos, LGBTQ-themed marketing campaigns, and new product launches. Yet branding experts note that simply acknowledging Pride in June can undermine a corporate brand as well as undercut the fundamental message of Pride, which is rooted in human rights and celebrating a community that has long been discriminated against.
June is the first Pride month for the 116th Congress, which includes 10 openly gay politicians — the most in the nation’s history. From hometown parades to policy speeches, members of Congress are marking the celebratory month and using the occasion to push for equality legislation.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is polling somewhere in the neighborhood of zero to one percent in most national polls, but she doesn't believe she can be counted out of the race with the first Democratic primary debates still looming.
