Trump plan would increase citizenship application fee by $570

The Trump administration has proposed a plan to increase the fees for legal immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship by $570, raising the cost to $1,330 for paper applications and $1,280 for online filings. This plan also seeks to eliminate fee waivers and reductions for low-income applicants, although exemptions for service members will remain. The changes are part of a proposed regulation by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and will not take effect immediately, as they must undergo the federal rulemaking process, including a 60-day public comment period. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, argues that the fee hikes are necessary to cover the costs of processing applications, especially with increased scrutiny under the Trump administration. Historically, fees for citizenship applications have been kept low to encourage naturalization, but the current administration believes that these applications should not be subsidized at the expense of other immigration benefits. The administration has also intensified the vetting process for citizenship, including probing applicants’ “good moral character” and conducting neighborhood checks. QUESTION: How might the increase in citizenship application fees impact the number of immigrants who pursue naturalization in the United States?