Immigration fees on hold

SAN LUIS, Ariz. – A judge’s order has allow ed more time for people to apply for U.S. citizenship before a steep increase in applications fees takes effect.

A more than 80% increase in fees charged by the U.S. Department of Citizenship & Immigrations was slated to take effect Oct. 2, but U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in California blocked the hikes. White said USCIS did not follow proper procedures in ordering the higher fees, and that the head of the department and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, did not have the authority to approve the increases because both men serve in acting roles.

“For now it’s a temporary order that the court has made,” said Iveth Lopez, executive director of Pueblo Immigration, an agency in San Luis that helps people file applications for naturalization and other immigration documents.

“We don’t know how much time it will stay in effect or when it’s going to end, but it’s an (extended) opportunity to file their applications under the current fees.”

The fee for an application to USCIS for naturalization was scheduled to increase $640 to $1,160 if submitted online and from $640 to $1,170 if filed in paper form.

Proposed increases for other documents varied, bringing the overall increase to more than 80%.

Joseph Edlow, deputy director for policy for USCIS, criticized the ruling.

“This unfortunate decision will leate USCIS underfunded by milliones of dollars every day this order is imposed.”

Unlike most other federal agencies, USCIS is funded exclusively by immigration fees, he said, and the current fee structure does not bring in enough revenue to fund the department’s services.

Nonprofit organizations that went to court to block the new fees argued that as acting heads, the directors of DHS and USCIS had no authority to impose the increases, and that the hikes would disproportionately hurt low-income applicants.

Lopez urged people aspiring to citizenship to take advantage of the delay to file their applications for naturalization as soon as possible.

LOANED PHOTO A GROUP OF PEOPLE BECOME U.S. CITIZENS in a recent naturalization ceremony. A plan by the U.S. Department of Citizenship & Immigration Services to hike application fees for naturalization and other immigration documents has been placed on hold by a court order.