The Department of Homeland Security announced that migrants granted humanitarian parole in the United States will be required to pay a new $1,000 fee, a measure the agency says is aimed at increasing accountability and “deter misuse” within the immigration system.
According to a DHS statement, the fee — effective October 16, 2025 — applies to all individuals granted parole under Section 212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including new parolees and those seeking re-parole. It will be collected after the parole grant is approved, not when an application is filed.
The money will be gathered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the official DHS release that the move is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem to restore “law and order” to the immigration system.
“Through the implementation of this new fee, President Trump and Secretary Noem are guaranteeing that foreign nationals, who wish to stay here, have skin in the game and do not exploit the system. This immigration parole fee notice is another tool to stop the degradation of our immigration system and restore law and order to our country”
A notice published by USCIS in the Federal Register on Thursday confirmed that the new fee is required under the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill and may be adjusted annually based on inflation. The agency explained that the payment will be mandatory before parole can be approved and that exceptions exist only for individuals qualifying under ten statutory exemptions.
“We will not grant parole unless you pay the immigration parole fee as instructed and within the specified time period,” USCIS stated.
The announcement comes amid an ongoing legal and political battle over the Trump administration’s handling of humanitarian parole and mass deportation efforts. Back in August U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb blocked DHS from fast-tracking the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who had previously been paroled into the country, ruling that the administration’s tactics “changed the rules in the middle of the game” for those already granted lawful status.
McLaughlin criticized that decision at the moment, calling it “lawless” and claiming it contradicted prior Supreme Court rulings upholding expedited removals.
The new fee marks the latest step in the administration’s ongoing effort to overhaul the parole system, which Trump officials have repeatedly described as being “misused” under the previous administration.
Originally published on Latin Times
