The United States remains embroiled in intense controversy over the state of its immigration policies, which was one of a handful of critical issues that survived the churn of the 24-hour news cycle throughout 2019.

Now, in 2020, it's worth looking at what's changed, if anything, and what kind of immigration developments are on the docket for the coming year.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

The Trump administration announced intentions in 2017 to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, aka DACA. Since 2012, the program has awarded protections to around 800,000 individuals and denied some 72,000 other applications. The purpose of DACA was to provide temporary, but renewable, work authorizations for people who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children.

In late 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court entertained a challenge to the administration's cancellation of DACA. If the SCOTUS delivers a ruling in 2020 that is favorable to the administration, legislators will likely answer by attempting to draw up a compromise. With the 2020 election drawing ever closer, however, the chances of a bipartisan deal are becoming slimmer.

Workplace Visa Denials

One major question for employers in 2020 is whether they can expect the approval of H-1B and L-1 visa petitions submitted on behalf of skilled individuals they wish to employ. Experts expect little to change here from the policies of the current U.S. administration, which presided over three years of high denial rates for these types of visas.

Higher Costs for Immigrants and Asylum Seekers

In 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will perform what some call the "unprecedented" move of raising administrative fees for people seeking citizenship and introduce entirely new ones for asylum seekers. Sending insufficient payments for filing fees is already one of the most common reasons petitions for new or renewed citizenship get rejected.

In 2020, USCIS will institute a 60% increase in the price to apply for citizenship through naturalization. The new price is $1,170, up from $640. Additionally, the U.S. will become one of only four countries that charges asylum seekers for processing their applications. Beginning in 2020, the cost to apply for humanitarian protection in the U.S. is $50.

Even DACA applicants, if the program survives, will face higher prices. In 2020, so-called "Dreamers" would, if the USCIS' plans go forward, pay $765 per renewal request instead of $495.

Uncertain Future for Asylum in America

The United States' recent "Remain in Mexico" program means that tens of thousands of asylum seekers began 2020 inside poorly maintained and overcrowded detention facilities in Mexico. They number around 56,000 and hail from throughout Central and Latin America, as well as Venezuela and Cuba. This program has attracted some intense criticism.

It also, according to some, effectively ends the asylum process in America as we understand it. "Remain in Mexico" makes it difficult or impossible for asylum seekers and migrants to obtain the services of a lawyer. According to Syracuse University, only around 4% of migrants turned away at the U.S. border by "Remain in Mexico" have successfully done so.

The same research indicates that only around 114 asylum petitions out of every 24,000 receive approval. The program is on track for further expansions in January 2020, under which asylum petitioners denied entry into the U.S. will have to travel hundreds of miles through the dangerous territory they're fleeing in Mexico to reach their immigration court hearings in the States.

America's Immigration Policy in 2020 and Beyond

There are additional changes proposed for U.S. immigration policy in 2020, the fate of which currently rests in the hands of the court system and, late in 2020, voters.

Another recent rule change made it impossible for a migrant to receive asylum in the U.S. if they first passed through a third country. The Supreme Court upheld this rule change in late 2019, but 2020 will more than likely see the case return to SCOTUS due to overwhelming pushback from civil liberties groups.

These developments are either welcome or unwelcome news, depending on the viewer. On one hand, more exclusionary immigration policies have reduced the number of arrests made at the U.S.-Mexico border. Arrests were down 6% in November 2019 compared to October, and down 30% compared to the previous November. These rule changes are succeeding in many of their stated objectives.

2019 and what has passed of 2020 so far may provoke optimism for other reasons, too. The American Civil Liberties Union and many other groups have risen to the occasion by bringing attention to — and forcing confrontations in court over — what they feel are the more egregious steps taken to curtail how immigrants and migrants in the U.S. receive humanitarian aid.

It's also impossible to overlook the outpouring of support from the public for immigrants who've helped redefine what America is all about, even while living and exemplifying the classic American dream.

The Statue of Liberty still retains some of her symbolic value when it comes to celebrating personal liberties. For many, the hope in 2020 is that she yet again represents compassion for those who are not as familiar with the concept as we are.