The Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that migrants paroled in the U.S. would face a new $1,000 immigration fee “to institute accountability and prevent rampant fraud of the parole system.”
The fee seeks to “strengthen oversight of the immigration parole system and deter its misuse,” the agency said in a news release.
“The Biden Administration abused America’s immigration system and turned parole into a de facto amnesty program, thereby allowing millions of unvetted illegal aliens into the U.S., no questions asked, to the detriment of all Americans,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
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“Through the implementation of this new fee, President Trump and Secretary Noem are guaranteeing that foreign nationals, who wish to stay here, have skin in the game and do not exploit the system,” she continued. “This immigration parole fee notice is another tool to stop the degradation of our immigration system and restore law and order to our country.”
The fees are triggered once the grant is effective, not when a parole request is filed or a travel document is received.
The $1,000 parole fee may be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. DHS said it will publish an annual notice in the Federal Register to announce any adjusted fees.
The money will be collected by Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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The move comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to mass deport illegal migrants and reduce pathways for legal immigration, including the president’s attempt to raise the fee for H-1B visa applications to $100,000 to prioritize American workers, which prompted a lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
