Seeking Safety Shouldn’t Be This Hard

LGBTQ+ asylum seekers come to the U.S. after surviving violence, criminalization, and persecution simply for who they are. They arrive hoping for safety, and instead face a system filled with delays, confusion, and barriers that can derail their chance to survive.

For many of our clients, the challenge isn’t proving that they qualify for asylum; it’s navigating a process designed to wear them (and their advocates) down.

In October 2025, Oasis advocates returned to the office to find hundreds of identical government notices (one for each client) announcing new requirements that made seeking asylum even harder. For the first time, people fleeing persecution were told they must now pay to apply for protection, and then pay recurring fees as their cases drag on due to administrative delays by the government.

For someone rebuilding their life after trauma, even a “small” fee can mean choosing between safety and survival — food, rent, or the chance to keep their asylum case moving forward.

What Oasis Is Doing

The new fees that the federal administration introduced over the summer include fees to apply for asylum, obtain a first-time work permit, and keep an asylum case open year to year.

Most Oasis clients make less than $2,500 a month. For some, these new costs mean skipping meals to afford the chance to live without fear.

We refuse to let these fees stand between our clients and their right to safety. Oasis has begun covering the $100 asylum application fee for first-time applicants, at an estimated annual cost of $20,000 to our organization.

Still, nearly 1,000 additional clients now face recurring annual fees simply to keep their cases alive–costs we are not yet able to cover without community support.

Stand With LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers

Our clients have already endured more than most of us can imagine. And they should not lose their chance at safety simply because the system continues to create deliberate barriers, obfuscating an already complicated process.

Your support helps keep doors open, even when policies try to close them.

Stand with LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.
Protect access to safety.
Donate today.

Defend the Right to Seek Safety Campaign

By Oasis Legal Services

Defend the Right to Seek Safety Campaign

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