A controversial provision in the Trump administration’s proposed budget reconciliation bill could generate millions of dollars in new revenue from asylum seekers. If passed in its current form, the bill would impose a $100 fee on every person applying for asylum in the United States—applications that have historically been free.
In 2024 alone, the U.S. recorded 892,904 asylum applications, meaning the fee could generate nearly $90 million in new funds.
Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for comment.
Why It Matters
USCIS defines asylum seekers as individuals fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Advocates argue that charging vulnerable people for protection undermines the core values of U.S. asylum law and raises serious ethical and legal concerns.
What to Know
- The bill, officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, originally proposed a $1,000 fee for asylum applications in the House. The Senate version reduced that to $100, but the legislation is now back in the House, where the amount could change again.
- The budget also proposes new or increased fees on several other immigration services:
- $100 per year for pending asylum applications (previously free)
- $550 for initial work permits for asylum seekers (previously free)
- $250 for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications (previously free)
- $500 for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), up from $50
TPS is a designation offered to migrants fleeing extraordinary conditions in their home countries. The Trump administration has moved to strip TPS protections for Venezuelans and Haitians and may target other groups as well—potentially making paid applications obsolete or invalid.
Even paying the fee won’t guarantee protection. Advocacy groups report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained some asylum applicants after their court hearings, raising concerns that individuals could be forced to pay only to be deported shortly after.
The bill allocates $170 billion in immigration-related funding, including $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement and $45 billion for detention infrastructure—but does not make clear where the asylum application fees will be directed.
What People Are Saying
Nayna Gupta, Policy Director at the American Immigration Council:
“At a time when polls show Americans rejecting mass detention and deportation, this bill ignores the public’s concerns and doubles down on punitive policies. It does nothing to fix court backlogs, legal access, or our broken asylum system.”
Vice President JD Vance, on X (formerly Twitter), after casting the Senate tie-breaking vote:
“Massive tax cuts, no tax on tips or overtime. And most importantly, big money for border security. This is a big win for the American people.”
What Happens Next
The bill is back under debate in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers may push to modify the asylum fee structure. Immigration advocates, meanwhile, warn that placing a price on protection undermines both legal norms and humanitarian obligations.
With the White House pushing for swift passage and Democrats divided over how to respond, the future of these fees—and their broader impact on asylum seekers—remains uncertain.
