This Week in Immigration: August 14, 2026

U.S. Immigration News

DHS Proposes Fee Increase for Naturalization Applications

DHS has proposed raising the fee for Form N-400, the application for naturalization, from $760 to $1,330 for paper filings and from $710 to $1,280 for online filings. The rule would also eliminate the reduced fee option for lower-income applicants and end fee waiver eligibility for both Form N-400 and Form N-336, the form used to appeal a denied naturalization application. Current and former U.S. armed forces service members would remain exempt from the fees under existing law. Public comments are due by August 24, 2026.

State Department Revokes More than 175,000 Visas Under Trump

The U.S. State Department announced it has revoked more than 175,000 visas since President Trump took office in January 2025. Most revocations followed law enforcement encounters, with assault, DUI, theft, and drug offenses cited as the leading causes. The department also revoked visas tied to fraud, national security concerns, and comments celebrating the 2025 assassination of Charlie Kirk. Some immigration attorneys have raised concerns that revocations can occur after a police encounter alone, without a criminal conviction.

Trump Signs New Orders Targeting Birthright Citizenship

President Trump signed two executive orders on August 6, 2026, restricting birthright citizenship and "birth tourism," weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier attempt to end birthright citizenship. The orders exclude U.S.-born children of foreign government employees and citizenship-fraud cases, and direct agencies to deny visas to suspected birth tourists. The ACLU and other groups filed for legal relief on August 11, asking a federal court judge for an order blocking implementation of the new executive orders.

ICE Says It Will Complete Body Camera Rollout by End of August

ICE Acting Director David Venturella said on August 8, 2026, that the agency will equip every officer and agent in the field with body-worn cameras by the end of August, ahead of schedule. The move follows fatal ICE incidents in Maine, Texas, and Minnesota that raised questions about the lack of body cameras. Agency policy allows expedited footage release after a serious injury or death in custody, but ICE can withhold footage if it could compromise an investigation or someone's privacy. Border czar Tom Homan said ICE officers will be required to record vehicle stops with at least one body camera.

DHS Authorizes Mandatory E-Filing for Immigration Benefits

DHS issued an interim final rule, effective August 11, 2026, that allows USCIS to require electronic filing for certain immigration benefit requests, including green cards and work permits. USCIS can only mandate e-filing for forms that have been available online for at least 180 days, and must give the public 60 days' notice before making any specific form electronic-only. Applicants who cannot file electronically may request a hardship waiver, though USCIS must first have an approved waiver process in place before any mandate takes effect.

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