Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA35)

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Considering that 40% of Americans don’t have $400 in the bank, is $725 too much to charge for a U.S. citizenship application — especially considering the dire financial circumstances of many applicants?

Context

It costs $725 to apply for U.S. citizenship, up considerably from only $60 back in 1989.

Under current law, though, there are a few ways that can be reduced. If you earn less than 150% of the federal poverty line, the fee is waived entirely. If you earn between 150% and 200% of the federal poverty line, your fee is cut from $725 to $405.

However, many believe that this cost is still too high — and also that the fee reductions should apply to some people making more than 200% of the federal poverty line.

What the legislation does

The Citizenship Affordability Act would eliminate or reduce application fees for many people applying for U.S. citizenship. Specifically, it would make permanent the current income level at which one’s fee is eliminated, and also expands level at which one receives a fee reduction from 200% to 250% of the federal poverty line.

It was introduced in the Senate on June 13 as bill number S. 1862 by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and in the House a few days later on June 18 as bill number H.R. 3328 by Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA35).

What supporters say

Supporters argue the bill reduces costs for the often-poor immigrants who come into America the legal way, which they contend should be a completely separate issue from the contemporary debates over how to treat the undocumented.

“As a first-generation immigrant, I know that you have to work hard to become a U.S. citizen. Unfortunately, the high cost of the naturalization process can be a financial barrier for many legal permanent residents,” Rep. Torres said in a press release. “The Citizenship Affordability Act would help make the process more affordable to keep the American dream within reach for everyone who earns it.”

“Becoming an American citizen should not depend on whether or not you can afford a costly application fee,” Sen. Menendez said in the same press release. “As the son of immigrants, I know how becoming an American citizen can strengthen families and improve lives. Citizenship promotes integration, civic responsibility, and a sense of community, which ultimately benefits all Americans. Yet for too many aspiring Americans, the cost of naturalization is a significant barrier to becoming a citizen. Our Citizenship Affordability Act will help bring down that barrier for future fellow citizens across the nation.”

What opponents say

Opponents counter that U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) needs to collect fees, because — like the Postal Service — most of their money is earned through fees rather than direct governmental support and appropriations.

“When this agency waives fees, it’s hurtful to the quality of the agency and it pushes fees off from one population to another,” David North of the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization which advocates for reduced immigration, told UPI. “If you can’t get fees from group A, then you have to run up the fees for groups B, C, and D. So there is a reason to be careful with waivers.”

In 2017, more than 285,000 fee waivers were requested, costing the government about $173 million.

Odds of passage

The House version has attracted six cosponsors, all Democrats. It awaits a potential vote in the House Judiciary Committee.

The Senate version has attracted eight cosponsors, all Democrats. It awaits a potential vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Without bipartisan cosponsorship, the odds of legislative passage are small in the Republican-controlled Senate. The legislation could also serve as a template for executive branch action if Democrats control the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in a year and half.

This article was written by GovTrack Insider staff writer Jesse Rifkin.

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