Trump plans daily $998 fine for migrants defying deportation orders | World News
The Trump adminration is preparing to fine migrants who stay in the United States after being ordered to leave, Reuters has reported. Migrants could face fines of up to $998 for each day they remain, and the government may also seize their property if they fail to pay.
The plan is based on a rarely used 1996 immigration law that was first enforced during Donald Trump’s previous term in office. According to a senior Trump official, who spoke to Reuters anonymously, the adminration could apply the fines retroactively for up to five years – potentially adding up to over $1 million in penalties for some individuals.
Internal emails reviewed Reuters show that the adminration is also considering using government powers to take and sell migrants’ assets if they do not pay the fines. “If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” said Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
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The adminration is urging migrants to use an app, now renamed “CBP Home,” to arrange their own departure. “They should self-deport and leave the country now,” McLaughlin added.
The fines could apply to around 1.4 million people who have already received final deportation orders from immigration judges. Emails reveal that the White House has been pushing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to manage the fines, asset seizures, and the handling of any sales from confiscated property.
One of the emails mentioned the possibility of involving the Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture division in the process.
During his first term, Trump used the 1996 law to impose heavy fines — up to hundreds of thousands of dollars — on migrants who took sanctuary in churches. Although those fines were withdrawn, smaller penalties of about $60,000 were later imposed on at least four migrants.Story continues below this ad
Former US President Joe Biden ended those fines and related policies after taking office in 2021.
Scott Shuchart, a former senior policy official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Biden, told that the fines might not hold up in court. “Their point isn’t really to enforce the law, it’s to project fear in communities,” he said.
Immigration advocates have also raised concerns about the effect of such fines on families. FWD.us, a group that supports immigration reform, estimates that about 10 million undocumented migrants live in “mixed-status households” — meaning they live with US citizens or legal residents. Many of those families may be affected if assets are seized.
According to a 2019 Census analysis the Migration Policy Institute, about 26% of households with undocumented immigrants live below the poverty line, raising fears that the fines would hit low-income families hardest.Story continues below this ad
A CBP memo seen Reuters suggested that ICE, rather than CBP, should manage the fines and seizures. The memo pointed out that CBP does not have the necessary systems to enforce such penalties and would need major upgrades and hiring. Reuters reported that CBP would require at least 1,000 new paralegals — more than triple its current staff of 313.
It is not yet clear when the fines would begin. DHS did not respond to Reuters’ questions about Stephen Miller, Trump’s policy adviser, or the technical challenges of putting the fines into action.
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