wtfisgoingonews:

rissa-posts:

wtfisgoingonews:

wtfisgoingonews:

The Trump administration is trying to CHARGE asylum seekers.

This in absolutely unprecedented, the U.S. has never charged for asylum, and if this goes into effect there would be a $50 fee at the port of entry. 

ALSO:

DACA application fees would go up from $495 to $765.

Citizen application fees would go up from $640 to $1170.

This doesn’t even include addition fees that comes with the other required paperwork and obtaining work permits. There are so many economic barriers already in place, this is outrageous. 

What Can You Do?

On Thursday, November 14th, 2019 this proposal will be opened up for a 30-day comment period. Here’s where the unpublished proposal will be posted:

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements”

November 14th, 2019 update:

The full proposal is now posted online and the comment period is open for the next 32-days. The link will take you to the full draft and allow you to leave a formal comment. Comments will no longer be accepted after December 16th, 2019.  

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements” 

What type of thing do I comment? I want to start participating in politics (I’m 18 in January), but don’t really have any idea what to do.

Okay so open comments for regulations are interesting because the Executive Branch is required to receive, consider, and respond to each one.

However, it’s also important to engage effectively. Comments are supposed to directly address the proposed rules and then regulators consider the evidence. By law, your comment will be received and read and they will have to explain why they’re not incorporating a suggestion. If an arbitrary regulation goes into effect and they ignored presented evidence then it can be challenged in court.

But what are you supposed to say? Chain letters are accepted and gone over but this is the time to present unique facts, perspective, and evidence from all over the country. What haven’t they evaluated? How will this impact the individual? What’s your opinion on the way this agency is headed? (If you include facts, statistics, or articles be sure to cite them.)

It’s also helpful to offer alternative solutions to aspects of their suggestions. For example, this agency is stating that they are charging more because “Current fees would leave the agency underfunded by approximately $1.3 billion per year.” Someone with more information on this subject might be able to comment on how they might just otherwise cut 1.3 billion from the budget. That information would then have to be considered.

This is exactly why open comment periods are important. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, social workers, activists, community leaders, etc. are all experts in their fields and know how proposed rules uniquely affect them, the people around them, the environment around them, law, healthcare, community, those targeted by these regulations, etc. If none of this applies to you then it’s also perfectly acceptable to comment your general opinion on how this policy is ethically or morally wrong.

Here’s a good format

(Don’t worry it doesn’t have to be terribly long if you don’t really have much to say):

Introduction - Explain why you are interested in the regulation, highlight any credentials or experience that may distinguish your comment from others, and whether you are commenting on your own behalf, on the behalf of another organization, or are endorsing or joining with another comment or commenter.

Background - Identify the issues within the regulatory action on which you are commenting, and list your recommendations upfront. If you are commenting on a particular word or phrase, or if you are responding to specific questions or requests for data, state this clearly and provide the relevant page number, column, and paragraph citation from the federal register document.

Analysis - Lay out your detailed argument and evidence to support your recommendations.

Conclusion - Recap your main argument and list your recommendations again. Don’t forget to add your citations if you included any.