We as Americans pride ourselves on the security of freedom and liberty for all. But for immigrant children, that promise is slipping further from reach. No matter who you are or what you stand for, you are expected to have a place in our society; but due to limitations within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that is no longer the case for immigrant children.
When immigrant children are abandoned, abused or neglected within the U.S. by their parents, their last resort is a pathway to legal status known as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Until recently, this humanitarian classification has allowed abandoned, neglected or abused children within the U.S. who are dependent on the court to apply for legal status free of charge.
This special classification was created in 1990 to provide a narrow but essential form of protection for these immigrant children. It recognizes that they are not just immigrants; they are minors the U.S. has a moral and legal obligation to protect. There are checks in place to ensure that this classification is not abused. For instance, courts must first determine that the reunification of the minor with one or both parents is not viable and that it is in the child’s best interest to remain in the U.S.. Only then can a child apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
By design, this status is humanitarian, not economic. Children do not choose abandonment or abuse. They do not weigh the pros and cons of applying for special status. They are simply seeking survival. That is why the classification was traditionally fee-exempt — to recognize the obvious reality that children cannot reasonably finance their own protection.
Recently, that has changed because of the highly publicized One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which silently raised fees for numerous immigration classifications. Among them was a newly established $250 fee for Special Immigrant Juvenile applicants. For children with no parents, no income and no one looking out for them, this is not just a bureaucratic tweak, but an attempt at blocking the only chance they have at stability.
While working with an immigration attorney this summer, I saw firsthand how these fees affect real lives. Imagine a 10-year-old child, abandoned, abused, and neglected by their parents, constantly having to look over their shoulder in fear of deportation just because they cannot muster $250. Not many 10-year-olds have the facilities to understand legal status, let alone pay a $250 fee just to continue their life, and since their parents have abandoned them, they are left solely responsible for paying this fee. Even slightly older juveniles face a vicious cycle under this new law: although they may be old enough to work, they still lack legal status and are therefore barred from employment, leaving them unable to pay the fee, unable to attend school, and unable to live a normal life.
The cruelty becomes even clearer when you consider the numbers. In 2022, only 31,933 Special Immigration Juvenile applications were filed. Assuming the number of applications has remained relatively constant, a $250 filing fee would only net around $8 million for the government yearly. With the federal government spending $6 million a minute, this sum is negligible in comparison to the detrimental impact it has on individuals. It is evident that this is more than just a moneymaking opportunity for the federal government; it is about creating insurmountable barriers to immigrants.
We, as young people, must demand that our representatives end this inhumane fee. We cannot turn a blind eye to the cruelty of this policy. These students have a right to live free of uncertainty, and if our country aims to pride itself on freedom and liberty, we cannot let this wrongdoing go unnoticed.
These children are not criminals. They are not defrauding the immigration system — they are just unlucky enough to have been abused, neglected or abandoned. They should not be punished for their misfortune.
Julio Kutrolli is a sophomore studying public policy at Cornell University.