Immigration agency asks for financial rescue and plans to charge more for visa applications

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Who is affected by Trump's residency issuance decree? 2:07

(CNN) - The US federal agency responsible for processing visa and asylum applications has asked Congress for $ 1.2 billion due to loss of revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Citizenship Immigration Service (USCIS), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, notified Congress last Friday of the projection of the budget deficit it faces, according to an agency spokesman.

• READ: 12 changes to the US immigration system during the coronavirus pandemic

Additionally, the agency is proposing an additional 10% charge on application fees to reimburse taxpayers.

"Due to the covid-19 pandemic, USCIS has seen a drastic decrease in its revenue and is seeking a one-time request for emergency funds," the spokesperson said.

The immigration agency is primarily funded by the fees for the processes it performs, and it generally continues its operations during the allocation periods of funds, such as the government shutdown last year. However, during the pandemic, USCIS suspended its face-to-face services, including all interviews and naturalization ceremonies.

The entity estimates that application and petition fees will drop approximately 61% through the end of the fiscal year, so funds would run out this summer.

The weakening of the agency's funds is the inevitable result of government policies that decreased the number of requests - and therefore fees - that USCIS receives, said Sarah Pierce, a policy analyst with the US Immigration Policy Program. .UU. at the Institute for Migration Policies.

Between the end of the 2017 fiscal year and the end of 2019, USCIS received nearly 900,000 fewer petitions, according to Pierce, who added that the decrease was largely driven by government decisions themselves, such as ending Temporary Protected Status. for citizens of various countries or dramatically reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States.

Last week, the agency took steps to make it easier for certain temporary workers, considered "essential to the US food supply chain," to stay in the country by temporarily modifying visa requirements.

Workers already in the United States will be allowed to stay longer without having to return to their home countries first. They can also start their work immediately without waiting for full approval, making it easier for employers who cannot hire foreign workers to choose from the group already in the US In April, the Department of Homeland Security made similar changes for foreign employees who work directly in the agricultural industry.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has planned to increase immigration restrictions. In April, President Donald Trump signed a decree that stops the issuance of permanent residences (also known as "green cards") for people outside the United States for at least 60 days. The measure came after the president wrote on his Twitter account that "it would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States." Among the many changes to the immigration system in recent months, the government also invoked a public health law, citing the coronavirus, which allowed for the rapid removal of migrants detained at the border.

• READ: New Trump decree on immigration: this is what the measure contemplates

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has hinted at upcoming restrictions, especially related to student visas.

“There are some student visas that we are looking at. We know there is fraud, there is abuse on the show and it is time for us to face that, ”Wolf said during an interview with Fox last week.

Earlier this year, Wolf appointed Joseph Edlow to lead the USCIS amid an agency shakeup. Ken Cuccinelli, a hardline immigration official who ran USCIS, remains number two at Homeland Security headquarters.

USCIS has remained without permanent leadership since last year.

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