Res 0340-2024

Whereas, Currently, USCIS is funded primarily by fees charged to individuals and entities applying for or petitioning for immigration benefits; and Whereas, Of USCIS' Fiscal Year 2024 6.8-billion-dollar budget, roughly 96% of that funding comes from filing fees; and Whereas, Although funding to USCIS from Congress has increased over the past few years, particularly for application processing, it is still minimal compared to the funding provided by filing fees; and Whereas, The filing fees include applications for humanitarian immigration benefits and subsequent work authorization applications; and Whereas, Humanitarian benefits include humanitarian parole, refugee status, asylum status, and temporary protected status; and Whereas, These humanitarian programs and protections are intended to assist individuals fleeing disasters and oppression or in need of support for other urgent circumstances; and Whereas, Although there is no fee to apply specifically for refugee or asylum status, there are fees required for first-time applicants of temporary protected status and certain applicants for humanitarian parole; and Whereas, Additionally, all humanitarian benefit applicants, excluding refugees, certain asylum seekers, and certain parole programs, are required to pay for an employment authorization application; and Whereas, According to USCIS, the fees range depending on applicants' and petitioners' ages and the specific benefits being applied for, but applications for employment authorization alone can cost 520 dollars; and Whereas, For individuals fleeing war, economic collapse, or natural disasters, entering the United States already comes with significant financial barriers; and Whereas, Individuals that are applying for humanitarian relief and subsequent work authorization are often entering the country with minimal or no money to support themselves, and often have to rely on charities, businesses, or family members to pay filing fees; and Whereas, For individuals seeking humanitarian relief, paying a filing fee is difficult, if not impossible; and Whereas, Additionally, these filing fees are substantial obstacles for accessing work authorization; and Whereas, Although fee waiver applications are available, the requirements are complex and specific, and filing improperly will jeopardize the entire application process; and Whereas, In New York City, these financial barriers for accessing humanitarian relief and work authorization are significant because of the influx of asylum seekers and migrants that have come to New York over the last year; and Whereas, New York City has welcomed over 197,000 migrants and asylum seekers over the last year, and 65,000 remain in the care of the city; and Whereas, For individuals eligible for temporary protected status, humanitarian parole, or asylum, the required filing fees will likely complicate or delay access to relief and work authorization; and Whereas, Without eliminating fees for applicants of humanitarian relief and subsequent work authorization, these additional financial barriers could force them to enter an underground economy that increases their risk of labor exploitation or harm; and Whereas, Although the Biden Administration has proposed additional Congressional funding be directed to USCIS, this proposal did not address the filing fees for humanitarian relief and subsequent work authorization; and Whereas, Individuals who have come to the United States seeking humanitarian relief should not be charged for their applications for relief or employment authorization; and Whereas, Congressional funding for USCIS must be increased to eliminate these fees; and Whereas, Additional Congressional and Biden Administration funding for USCIS would be an effective way to invest in legal immigration and work authorization in the United States, thereby economically benefiting the entire country; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to eliminate filing fees for humanitarian benefit applications and subsequent employment authorization applications and calling on Congress and the President to move significant funding to USCIS to cover the funding lost by the eliminated filing fee. LS #14603, 14604 11/17/2023 RLB