Imagine walking into your office to see 400 envelopes scattered across the floor. This is the scene that our legal advocates returned to on October 13, 2025.

Each envelope corresponded to a client and contained the same kind of notice: a message from the government stating that asylum seekers must (for the first time) pay new fees to apply for protection from persecution.

A fee for seeking safety.
A fee for daring to flee violence.
A fee for dreaming of freedom in a country that calls itself a sanctuary.

Each envelope represents a person and their story. For some clients, the notice means skipping meals to pay for the chance to live without fear. For others, it means facing an impossible choice between having a roof over their head or a chance to obtain asylum.

WHAT THE NEW FEES MEAN
As of August 21, 2025, asylum applications submitted without the new fees will be rejected. These prohibitive fees for immigration applications include:

$100 for a first-time asylum application
$100 for every year an asylum application is pending
$550 for a first-time work permit
$520 work permit renewal fees increased to $795

As of October 28, checks and money orders from U.S. banks are no longer accepted. Only ACH debit or credit card payments from a U.S. bank are generally accepted, creating additional systemic barriers for applicants. $100 might not seem like a lot to some, but for someone trying to rebuild their life, it can feel impossible. Most of our clients live at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, and these costs are harrowing.

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

This still leaves nearly 1,000 additional clients who face recurring fees for their cases; an annual cost of about $100,000.

We know that the intention behind these changes is to wear us down. And while we are weathered, we remain committed to ensuring access to justice, and we simply cannot give up.

CAN YOU HELP US REACH OUR GOAL OF $200,000?

Together, we can ensure that LGBTQ+ immigrants are not silenced by bureaucracy or burdened by unjust fees. Our clients are survivors of past persecution and have overcome so much, have pushed through impossible barriers, knocking on doors of opportunities. Even as new policies attempt to close doors, your support keeps them open.

Stand With Us.

Defend the Right to Seek Safety. Donate Today.

Defend the Right to Seek Safety Campaign

By Oasis Legal Services

Defend the Right to Seek Safety Campaign