USCIS Introduces New Application Fees
On July 11, USCIS announced it will soon add new fees for unspecified immigration benefit requests. The agency hasn’t detailed which forms or how much fees will increase, but this shift signals rising costs for applicants and could impact family-based filings and legal assistance budgets.
To avoid delays or costly errors, it’s a good idea to speak with an immigration lawyer before submitting your application.
Massive Enforcement Funding & Added Fees in Budget Law
Signed July 4, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) significantly reshapes immigration policy alongside tax changes. It allocates approximately $170 billion over four years for immigration enforcement — including $45 billion to build detention capacity and hire ICE agents — and introduces a non-immigrant “visa integrity fee” of $250 per application, impacting family, student, travel, and temporary work visas.
Supporters argue it's necessary for enforcement and compliance, while critics warn it may price out family migration and shift billions out of safety-net programs. SNAP expansions and Medicaid work requirements included in the same bill have raised broader concerns about its social impact.
DHS Ends Temporary Protected Status for Honduras and Nicaragua
From July 7–8, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Honduras and Nicaragua would be terminated — effective September 8, 2025 for Honduras, and July 5, 2025, plus a 60-day wind-down for Nicaragua. Secretary Kristi Noem explained that both countries have “recovered from the impacts of Hurricane Mitch” in 1998–99, and that TPS protections were always intended to be temporary. DHS said the decision followed thorough interagency review, including input from the Department of State and assessments by USCIS showing improved safety conditions for returnees.
According to the Federal Register, TPS protections — and related work authorizations — will remain in force through early September 2025, offering recipients a transition period to seek other legal options or depart voluntarily. DHS also encouraged beneficiaries to use CBP’s Home App and take advantage of offered assistance, including a free flight home and a $1,000 exit bonus if they leave voluntarily.
Newsweek notes that this move is part of an administration-wide rollback of TPS protections initiated for countries like Haiti, Venezuela, and Cameroon. CBS News points out that terminating TPS could put hundreds of thousands of people — many of whom have lived and worked in the U.S. for decades — at risk of deportation.
Advocates warn the decision could tear families apart, leaving U.S.-born children and spouses without support, while others argue that formally ending TPS in countries with improved conditions restores the temporary-focused intent of the program. Legal observers note potential lawsuits are already being prepared to challenge the decision in court.
ICE Raids Cannabis Farms in California
On July 10, 2025, ICE, along with Customs and Border Protection and the National Guard, executed coordinated raids at two large cannabis-farming operations near Camarillo and Carpinteria, resulting in approximately 200–319 arrests of undocumented workers.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tweeted that “@DHSgov law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential forced labor, exploitation, and trafficking”.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott confirmed that at least ten minors — some as young as 14 — were located on site, prompting a federal probe into child labor violations.
During the operation, 57-year-old Jaime Alanís suffered a fatal fall from a greenhouse roof while trying to flee. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive. His death has added to the outcry surrounding the raid, with many calling it a tragic consequence of escalating immigration enforcement tactics.
The raid sparked intense conflict, including protesters clashing with ICE agents using smoke canisters and rubber bullets. Local officials, including Congressman Salud Carbajal and labor activists, criticized the aggressive tactics and warned of the emotional toll on farm communities. The United Farm Workers union decried the operation as "violent and disruptive", arguing it targeted immigrant families and undermined labor stability.
Supporters of the crackdown, including President Trump, insisted the enforcement actions were justified and lawful. Trump issued a directive through DHS and Border Czar Tom Homan authorizing ICE to "use whatever means necessary" to protect agents amid protest violence. The farm operator, Glass House Farms, stated that it cooperated fully, complied with warrants, and has never knowingly employed minors.
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