Federal judge halts asylum application fee

FILE - An information packet and an American flag are placed on a chair at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office on Aug. 17, 2018, in Miami. Wilfredo Lee/AP

A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday temporarily paused the government’s rollout of a new annual asylum application fee, citing confusion and inconsistent policies between federal agencies.

Judge Stephanie Gallagher said two agencies, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” by issuing conflicting guidance on how and when asylum seekers must pay the $100 annual fee created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Gallagher found that the lack of coordination between the two agencies had caused “significant confusion”