Litigation Update: Challenges to Fee Waiver Form Changes

In the beginning of November, two lawsuits were filed challenging the harmful revisions to USCIS fee waiver forms. USCIS’ new revisions limit the criteria for fee waivers and increase burdens on low-income applicants applying for immigration relief. 

• Public Citizen on behalf of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Network field a suit in the U.S. District Court for DC against USCIS for its failure to comply with federal rulemaking requirements. For more information, see Public Citizen’s press release here.  You can view their complaint here, and amended complaint here. This lawsuit highlights the impact that the fee waiver changes will have on naturalization, applications for legal permanent residency and humanitarian protections for victims of crime.
• Similarly,  Protect Democracy, Advancing Justice-AAJC and partners brought a suit forward in California on behalf of ILRC, CLINIC, the City of Seattle among other plaintiffs. This suit challenges the revisions to the fee waiver form, as it will make it harder for low-income legal permanent residents to naturalize and for other applicants to access other immigration benefits. Please find their press statement here, and their complaint here.

We’re grateful for these organizations bringing these important actions forward.