DENVER, Colorado — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has increased the fees for DACA recipients to renew. The Obama-era program for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals requires most to renew their status, which protects them from deportation and makes them eligible for work authorization, every two years.
Previously, the fees were $495 whether you filed online or did a mail-in paper form. Now, the fees have increased to $555 for online renewals and $605 for the paper forms, a minimum increase of $60.
"It kind of takes a toll, a little extra stress on them," said Nayeli Sanchez, student success specialist for the Immigrant Services program at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Sanchez works with students who need help with their renewal paperwork. Through donors, the school has also been able to support DACA students with funds for the renewal fees, which is needed even more now that the fees increased. Last semester, MSU Denver was able to help six students. There are still four more waiting to see if any additional funds might become available.
"Students have to come up with this budget they have to do every year to make sure they are filling out tuition, room and board, their books, apart from making sure they have food," Sanchez said.
While a fee of $60 may not seem like a lot, Sanchez says the fees are just an added expense to DACA recipients on top of other immigration fees. Since the expense reoccurs every two years, it is one that's constantly on the minds of DACA recipients.
"It throws off students who are maybe helping their family financially as well and they just set aside that portion for the rest of the two years," Sanchez said.
The stress of paying increased fees is layered on top of anxiety surrounding the future of the entire DACA program, which may change under a new administration or due to a Supreme Court ruling.
"A lot of it is really, they plan for two years max right. And right now, it’s like, it’s in the next year election year like, what can we plan for?" Sanchez said.
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