America The Beautiful National Park and Federal Recreational Land Pass modifications target immigrants
WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, November 25 the U.S. Department of Interior announced higher fee rates for national park visitors labeled as non-residents. Effective New Year’s Day 2026, the move revokes Free Entrance Day benefits for nonresidents, modifies free entrance days, and imposes a $100.00 non-resident fee in addition to standard entrance fees at Yosemite National Park (CA), Rocky Mountain National Park (CO), Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA), Grand Canyon National Park (AZ), and Arches National Park (UT) among other top-visited national parks. In response, GreenLatinos issues the following statements:
“The national parks targeted for increased nonresident fees are places meant to welcome everyone — cherished for their natural beauty, cultural significance, and the stories they hold. By imposing higher fees on people without state-issued ID, the Trump Administration is advancing a xenophobic policy that disproportionately harms vulnerable populations like international students, newly arrived immigrants, and families seeking asylum. This approach eviscerates the true meaning of public lands and sends a clear, exclusionary message that our most cherished national parks have become yet another pay-to-play system. People should be welcomed — not priced out from our public lands,” said Pedro Hernández, Fresno, CA based GreenLatinos California State Program Manager.
“These national parks should welcome everyone, including the international visitors who patronize national park gateway communities like the community of Estes Park: the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park where 5.5 percent of residents are foreign born. The essential jobs in a gateway economy are carried out by many Hispanic, Latino and workers of color. We run the stores, hotels and restaurants. The administration should focus on economic prosperity for these workers but their recent announcement will only deter business,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, Denver, CO based GreenLatinos Vice President of State Programs.
“We condemn the omission of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act from the list of Free Entrance Days. The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund which enhances outdoor recreation access for all people from national public lands to neighborhood parks. These observances are patriotic days that celebrate freedom and safety in the outdoors. They should be celebrated as such by removing a simple cost barrier that can make parks more accessible to low income households. Immigrants who have yet to attain residential status should be invited to fall in love with our spectacular national parks for free on Free Entrance Days just like everyone else. That is equality,” said Olivia Juarez, Salt Lake City, UT based GreenLatinos Public Land Program Director.
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
