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. 

Share:
More In Politics
Michael Cohen Takes Plea
The former attorney to President Donald Trump took a plea deal Tuesday, admitting he paid off Stormy Daniels at the behest of President Trump. Cohen was charged with financial fraud, unlawful corporate campaign contributions, and evading personal income tax.
BREAKING: Michael Cohen Accepts Plea Deal
The former attorney to President Donald Trump has been under federal investigation for bank and tax fraud, as well as campaign finance violations for payments made to women who said they had affairs with the president. Cohen reportedly struck a deal with prosecutors Tuesday afternoon.
Michael Avenatti 2020?
Stormy Daniels's lawyer walked the pink carpet at the VMAs on Monday night, stopping to update Cheddar on his potential presidential run.
Microsoft Uncovers New Russian Hacking Scheme
Microsoft uncovered a new spear-phishing scheme waged by Russian hackers who targeted a handful of websites apparently linked to the government in an attempt to influence this November's elections.
Are Millennials Actually More Conservative Than We Think?
Evan Siegfried, author of "GOP GPS: A Guide to How Republicans Can Try to Win Favor of Millennials," considers this the most fiscally conservative generation since those who grew up during the Great Depression. In his new book, Siegfried argues that the party must remake itself if it wants to stay relevant to younger voters.
Load More