Comment Submitted by Jeci Adams

I am writing regarding the DHS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to increase the fee for Application for a Stay of Deportation or Removal, from $155 to $755. I strongly oppose this drastic fee increase for the following reasons: 1. Severe Financial Difficulty and Burden Increasing the filing fee by $600 imposes an punitive financial burden on individuals who are already facing removal from the United States. Additionally, while fee waivers do exist, there is no clear historical records for the rates of success and attainability to ensure that this important legal option will be accessible. 2. Unjustified Increase Relative to Inflation While ICE notes that the fee has not been adjusted since 1989, a jump of nearly 400% is extreme and disproportionate to cumulative inflation and we all know it's not that costs went up that much. For these reasons, I urge DHS to reconsider and withdraw this proposed rule and maintain the current $155 fee.