On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1 — the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — into law. The legislation is the most sweeping immigration overhaul since the 1990s, combining $170.7 billion in new enforcement funding with a wave of policy changes that directly affect asylum seekers, TPS holders, green card applicants, immigrant families, and anyone who sends money abroad. Many of its provisions are now taking effect in 2026. This guide breaks down every immigration provision you need to know.
- What Is the One Big Beautiful Bill?
- Enforcement Funding: What the Money Is For
- New Immigration Fees Effective May 29, 2026
- Healthcare Access: Medicaid and ACA Revocation for Immigrants
- The 1% Remittance Tax
- Impact on Asylum Seekers: The Full Picture
- Impact on DACA Recipients
- Key Dates to Know in 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the One Big Beautiful Bill?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (officially H.R. 1) was passed by Congress through the budget reconciliation process — a parliamentary procedure that allows certain legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60-vote threshold normally required. Because reconciliation is limited to budget-related provisions, the bill primarily addresses immigration through funding allocations and fee structures rather than outright policy changes — though the practical effect on millions of immigrants is enormous.
One Big Beautiful Bill — key immigration enforcement and legal immigration provisions.
The bill allocates $170.7 billion in new spending on immigration enforcement and border security over the budget window — the largest single immigration enforcement appropriation in U.S. history.
Enforcement Funding: What the Money Is For
Border Wall and Infrastructure: $46.5 Billion
The bill allocates $46.5 billion for the construction of physical border barriers, access roads, surveillance cameras, motion sensors, and lighting along the southern border. This is the largest single border infrastructure investment in U.S. history and funds the completion of the border wall system that Trump began in his first term and accelerated in his second.
ICE Detention Expansion: $45 Billion
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) receives $45 billion to dramatically expand its detention capacity — both for single adults and for family residential centers. This funding is intended to support the administration’s mass deportation agenda by ensuring sufficient detention beds are available for the large-scale arrests and removals being executed across the country.
State Border Security Fund: $10 Billion
The bill creates a new $10 billion “State Border Security Reinforcement Fund” that states can access to construct their own border barriers, assist in apprehending migrants, and supplement federal enforcement operations. This provision effectively turns state and local law enforcement into partners in federal immigration enforcement.
New Immigration Fees Effective May 29, 2026
On April 29, 2026, DHS published an interim final rule in the Federal Register implementing the fee structures required by H.R. 1. These new fees take effect May 29, 2026 and represent some of the most significant changes to immigration fee structures in decades.
One Big Beautiful Bill fee changes — all increases effective May 29, 2026. None are waivable for asylum seekers or TPS holders.
New Asylum Application Fee: $100 (Non-Waivable)
For the first time in U.S. history, a fee is now required to file Form I-589 (Application for Asylum). The fee is $100 and is non-waivable — meaning low-income asylum seekers cannot request an exemption. Previously, asylum applications were free to file, reflecting the humanitarian nature of asylum protection. This change marks a fundamental shift in how the U.S. treats those fleeing persecution.
Annual Asylum Fee (AAF): $102 Per Year
In addition to the initial filing fee, asylum applicants must now pay an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $102 per calendar year that their application remains pending. Because U.S. asylum backlogs currently run several years, most asylum seekers will be required to pay this fee multiple times before their case is decided. Failure to pay within 30 days of notification results in rejection of the asylum application and, for those without legal status, initiation of removal proceedings.
TPS Fee Increase: $50 → $500
The filing fee for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) registration and re-registration has been increased from $50 to $500 — a tenfold increase — with no fee waiver available. TPS is a humanitarian benefit for nationals of countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. This fee increase disproportionately burdens low-income TPS holders from countries like El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Venezuela, and Ukraine who may struggle to afford the new cost.
New I-94 Fee
The bill establishes a new fee for Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record), the document that establishes a nonimmigrant’s authorized period of admission. Previously issued at no charge upon arrival, the I-94 now requires a minimum fee under the new rule.
Healthcare Access: Medicaid and ACA Revocation for Immigrants
The One Big Beautiful Bill makes sweeping changes to immigrant access to federally funded healthcare, with two major implementation dates:
- October 1, 2026: Medicaid and CHIP access is revoked for immigrants who are not lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or U.S. citizens. This affects hundreds of thousands of immigrants currently enrolled in these programs — including those with pending adjustment of status applications, TPS holders, DACA recipients, and others with temporary legal status.
- January 1, 2027: Access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces is revoked for non-LPR immigrants. This closes a pathway to subsidized insurance that millions of immigrants currently rely on.
- January 27, 2027: Medicare access is revoked for non-LPR immigrants, completing the full rollback of federally funded healthcare for those without a green card or U.S. citizenship.
Immigration and healthcare advocacy organizations are challenging these provisions in federal court, arguing that sudden removal of healthcare access violates due process and will result in serious medical harm to vulnerable populations.
The 1% Remittance Tax
One of the most broadly felt provisions of H.R. 1 is a 1% excise tax on remittance transfers — money sent from the United States to other countries. This tax applies to all transfers made after December 31, 2025 and affects an estimated 50+ million immigrants who regularly send money to family members in their home countries.
While 1% may seem modest, the cumulative impact is significant: a worker sending $500/month to their family pays an additional $60/year in federal taxes on those transfers. For the millions of immigrants who collectively remit hundreds of billions of dollars annually to Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, the aggregate tax burden is enormous.
The tax applies to transfers made through banks, wire transfer services (Western Union, MoneyGram, Remitly, Wise), and mobile payment apps that facilitate international transfers. U.S. citizens sending money abroad are exempt — the tax applies only to non-citizen senders.
Impact on Asylum Seekers: The Full Picture
The combined effect of the H.R. 1 asylum provisions creates a dramatically more hostile environment for people seeking protection in the United States:
- Pay $100 to apply for asylum, even if fleeing torture, persecution, or violence
- Pay $102 every year while waiting — with no fee waiver available
- Lose your asylum application if you fail to pay within 30 days of receiving a payment notice
- Lose your work permit (EAD) immediately if your asylum application is rejected for non-payment
- Face deportation if you are out of status when your asylum case is rejected
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and numerous human rights organizations have criticized these provisions as violations of U.S. obligations under international refugee law, which prohibits penalizing asylum seekers for their manner of entry or imposing financial barriers to asylum claims.
Impact on DACA Recipients
While DACA itself is addressed through separate executive and judicial channels, H.R. 1 affects Dreamers indirectly through the healthcare provisions: DACA recipients who have been enrolled in Medicaid will lose that coverage as of October 1, 2026. DACA recipients from one of the 39 travel-ban countries also face the USCIS adjudication pause on their renewal applications — a separate but compounding problem.
Key Dates to Know in 2026
- May 29, 2026: New asylum fees, TPS fee increase, and I-94 fee all take effect
- June 29, 2026: Deadline to submit public comments on the DHS interim final rule
- October 1, 2026: Medicaid and CHIP access revoked for non-LPR immigrants
- January 1, 2027: ACA marketplace access revoked for non-LPR immigrants
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the $100 asylum filing fee really non-waivable?
Yes. Unlike many other immigration fees where low-income applicants can request a fee waiver, the H.R. 1 asylum fee is explicitly non-waivable. Every asylum applicant must pay $100 to file Form I-589, regardless of financial circumstances.
What happens if I already have a pending asylum case and can’t pay the $102 annual fee?
USCIS will notify you that the annual fee is due. You have 30 days to pay. If you do not pay within 30 days, USCIS will reject your pending asylum application. If you are out of status, DHS will also initiate removal proceedings against you.
Does the remittance tax apply to money I send to family in my home country?
Yes, if you are not a U.S. citizen. The 1% excise tax applies to remittance transfers made by non-citizens from the U.S. to foreign countries, effective for transfers after December 31, 2025.
I have TPS. Will my healthcare change under H.R. 1?
Yes. TPS holders who are enrolled in Medicaid will lose that coverage on October 1, 2026. You should begin exploring alternative health coverage options — including employer-sponsored insurance, state-funded programs (in some states), or community health centers — before that date.
Can the One Big Beautiful Bill be challenged in court?
Multiple lawsuits are underway challenging various provisions of H.R. 1, particularly the fee structures and healthcare access changes. Courts have been receptive to some challenges. Monitor litigation developments closely — injunctions blocking specific provisions are possible.
Related Immigration Guides
- Asylum in the United States: Complete Guide
- EAD (Work Permit) Guide
- TPS: Temporary Protected Status Guide
- Trump ICE Enforcement Strategy 2026
- Deportation Defense Guide
- Green Card (Form I-485) Guide
