USCIS requests transfer of over $200 million to ICE for immigration enforcement purposes

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Original Date Announced
January 1, 2019
USCIS seeks to transfer over $200 million into ICE for immigration enforcement purposes, including hiring over 300 law enforcement officers. USCIS is primarily funded through filing fees, which are deposited into the “Immigration Examination Fees Account” to fund the cost of processing immigration benefit applications and associated support benefits. In the 2019 budget justification that USCIS submitted to Congress, it requested to transfer $207.6 million out of IEFA — and the agency altogether — into ICE's budget. [ID #369]
USCIS Budget Overview: Fiscal Year 2019 Congressional Justification
Effective Date
January 1, 2019
Subsequent Trump and Court Action
December 9, 2019
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements

USCIS states its intention to reduce to $112 million its request to transfer funds from the fee account to ICE.
View Document
Subsequent Trump and Court Action
August 3, 2020
Final Rule: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements

USCIS notes in footnote 13 in its final rule on fee changes that it is no longer pursuing the transfer of funds to ICE.
View Document

Not in effect

Status: Proposed Rescinded

Trump Administration Action: Change in Practice

Subject Matter: Interior

Agencies Affected: ICE USCIS

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Immigration Policy Tracking Project