Fired Immigration Judges Decry DOJ’s ‘Crazy’ Spike in Immigration Fees

Congress and the Justice Department hiked up the fees to apply for residency, claim asylum or challenge deportation orders — imposing significant new roadblocks to gaining legal status.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers gather for a briefing before an enforcement operation, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Alex Brandon/AP

Tucked into the Trump administration’s signature domestic policy legislation are massive increases to legal fees that make it more expensive to apply for legal residency, claim asylum and challenge deportation orders.

Former immigration judges say those fees create steep barriers to anyone coming into the country who tries to play by the rules.

“It’s horrible. It’s yet another barrier to justice, another impediment to having your full day in court,” said Jennifer Peyton, who was the assistant chief immigration judge in Chicago until she was fired on July 3 (immigration court falls under the Justice Department and is not an independent judiciary).