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
Starbucks Opens Bathrooms to All
The coffee chain announced anyone who walks into a store can use the bathrooms, even if they didn't make a purchase. This is "the absolute right thing" to do, says communication and reputation strategist Deirdre Latour. Starbucks came under fire last month after arresting two black men accused of "loitering" at one of its stores.
Pharma Shares Shrug Off Trump's Drug Pricing Plan
The president laid out a plan that promised to bring down the costs of drugs. But it could amount to just minimal changes that don't end up pressuring drug makers enough to bring down prices, says Adriel Bettelheim, health care editor at Politico.
California's Big Bet on Sunshine
The state became the first in the U.S. to require almost all new homes to have solar panels, part of an effort to get half the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
North Korea Releases Three American Detainees
The three U.S. prisoners were released during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the capital city of Pyongyang, marking a significant reduction in tensions between the two countries ahead of President Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Pulling Out of the Iran Deal May Isolate the U.S.
Pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal may make it harder for the United States to have any influence over Tehran, says Laura Secor, a journalist and author who has written extensively about Iran. America's European allies may "prefer to work with the Iranians," leaving the U.S. out.
What Trump's Decision on the Iran Nuclear Deal Means for Your Wallet
President Trump's announcement that the U.S. is abandoning the Iran deal will lead to volatility in oil prices, says Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "The more fiery the response from President Trump, the more oil prices could eventually rally," he said.
Melania Trump's 'Be Best' Campaign Has Familiar Ring
The First Lady launched her 'Be Best' initiative on Monday, focusing on children's mental health, opioid abuse, and cyberbullying. Erin Delmore, senior political correspondent at Bustle, said there are still some details missing, and others that are eerily familiar to Obama-era guidelines.
Trump Pulls U.S. Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal
The president said the pact, which was intended to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, was "a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made." He said the United States would reinstate "powerful sanctions" against Iran.
Load More