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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is imposing a $1,000 fee on most immigrants seeking temporary parole into the United States, citing concerns that the program was exploited under the Biden administration.
Parole grants temporary protection from deportation, allowing individuals to stay in the country for a limited period.
Why It Matters
The fee places a financial burden on migrants seeking entry through parole, effectively making approval contingent on payment. For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access. While the administration frames it as a measure to prevent misuse, the policy raises questions about the consequences for migrants.
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What To Know
The fee applies to all individuals granted parole under INA Section 212(d)(5)(A), including initial parole, re-parole, parole in place, or parole from DHS custody, unless they qualify for one of 10 statutory exemptions, the agency said. The fee is charged when parole is granted, not when a request for parole is submitted, according to DHS.
DHS said the fee is intended to strengthen oversight of the immigration parole system and reduce potential misuse.
“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," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Morgan Bailey, a partner at Mayer Brown and a former senior official at DHS, told Newsweek that “the announcement was not unexpected" after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law in July 2025, and it established a new $1,000 fee to be paid by any individual who is paroled into the United States.
"The new 'immigration parole fee' of $1,000 is in addition to any other applicable filing or biometric collection fee," Bailey said.
"Under the Trump Administration, DHS has highlighted operational burdens and vetting vulnerabilities associated with large-scale, categorical parole programs," she added.
“The Biden Administration abused America’s immigration system and turned parole into a de facto amnesty program, thereby allowing millions of unvetted illegal aliens into the U.S., no questions asked, to the detriment of all Americans,” McLaughlin said.
Bailey noted that DHS has tied the new parole fee to its reassessment of programs such as the CHNV Parole Program, created in 2023 to allow nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the United States temporarily for humanitarian reasons. She said that while the Biden Administration promoted the initiative as a safe and orderly process for individuals lacking visa options, the Trump Administration has since condemned it as harmful to U.S. workers and public safety, describing it as chaotic and poorly controlled.
There are 10 statutory exceptions to the $1,000 immigration parole fee. These exemptions generally cover urgent humanitarian or legal circumstances.
They include situations such as medical emergencies when necessary treatment is not available abroad, or cases involving minors whose parents or guardians must accompany them. Individuals entering the United States as organ or tissue donors, or those needing to attend the imminent death or funeral of a close family member, may also be exempt.
Other exemptions apply to certain immigration-related circumstances, such as adopted children with urgent medical needs, applicants for lawful permanent residence returning after temporary travel abroad, and individuals from contiguous territories attending immigration hearings.
Cuban or Haitian entrants under the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, as well as those whose presence is required to assist U.S. law enforcement in a matter of significant public benefit, are also eligible for exemption.
The Federal Register notice published by DHS outlines the procedure for fee collection, exceptions, and the consequences of nonpayment. USCIS will notify individuals subject to the fee at the time parole is granted, and payment must be made before approval is finalized.
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a domestic legislative package that made changes across multiple areas of federal law. Among its provisions, the law established several new fees related to immigration enforcement and lawful immigration programs.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress gave the Secretary of Homeland Security discretionary authority to grant parole to foreign nationals on a temporary, case-by-case basis for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”
The law allows DHS to permit certain individuals to enter or remain in the United States even if they would otherwise be inadmissible, for example, because they lack valid documentation, have prior immigration violations, or fall under other exclusion grounds. Parole may also be used to release individuals from DHS custody when the agency determines they do not pose a security or flight risk.
The authority to grant immigration parole dates back to the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act.
What People Are Saying
**Morgan Bailey, a partner at Mayer Brown and a former senior official at DHS, told Newsweek: "**Trump officials have criticized categorical parole initiatives as exceeding executive authority, underscoring that the statute contemplates parole on a case-by-case basis grounded in urgent humanitarian need or significant public benefit.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “This immigration parole fee notice is another tool to stop the degradation of our immigration system and restore law and order to our country.”
USCIS wrote in a statement: "If we determine that we can approve your request for parole or re-parole and that it requires payment of the immigration parole fee, we will notify you that you must pay this fee before we can approve your request."
What Happens Next
The fees came into effect on October 16, 2025. The agency said that the fee will be collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). DHS officials said the fee may be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
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