Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Homeland Security's Rate Increase

On the surface, it makes perfect sense: DHS raises its fees to immigrants who are filing for permanent residency here in the U.S. as much as three times the current rate. The agency can take this money and use it to upgrade and improve its services to immigrants and refugees.

The problem, however, is that many immigrants who are in the U.S. legally and working toward permanent residency and citizenship cannot afford the current fees, let alone a significant rate hike, so the move is essentially punitive toward those who are playing by the rules. The story linked here follows a Russian national who is currently struggling to make ends meet and pay her residency fees to DHS. The article asks the reader to question if it really is a good idea to improve DHS services by straining the financial resources of already strapped immigrants.

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