Department of Homeland Security sued over SIJS fee waiver repeal and protester surveillance

Immigration and children’s‑rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleging that the agency unlawfully ended a three‑decade‑old $250 fee waiver for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). The plaintiffs argue the removal of the waiver violates the Administrative Procedure Act and ignores congressional intent, describing SIJS as “an extraordinarily protective remedy designed to fit the vulnerability of its intended recipients.”

In a separate case, San Diego resident April Walker claims DHS agents used facial‑recognition cameras and license‑plate data to monitor her while she recorded federal immigration enforcement activity. After the incident, her Global Entry membership was revoked and only reinstated following media attention. The lawsuit alleges the revocation was retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights, asserting that DHS’s “secret Protester Surveillance Policy” targets lawful observers of immigration enforcement.