The Trump administration is planning to fine migrants up to $998 a day if they fail to leave the US after receiving a deportation order, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing documents reviewed by the agency. The fines would apply retroactively, with some migrants potentially facing penalties of over $1 million if they haven’t complied with deportation orders within the last five years, a senior official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity.
According to the report, the fines are based on a 1996 law that was first enforced during Trump’s first term in 2018. The official further revealed that the government is also considering the seizure of property from migrants who don’t pay the fines. This could include assets such as homes or vehicles, with the Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture division potentially handling the seizures.
In a statement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin warned that migrants who fail to leave the country voluntarily would face consequences. “If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” McLaughlin reportedly said. “This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
The DHS had already indicated the levies in a March 31 post on social media, warning migrants of the penalties.
The White House has reportedly pressured U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enforce the penalties, handle potential property seizures, and even consider the sale of migrants’ assets if they fail to pay the fines. One email reviewed by Reuters mentioned that CBP could be involved in the handling of these matters, with a potential role for the civil asset forfeiture division of the Department of Justice.
The Trump administration has had a tough stance on immigration, with the departments ramping up deportations and fines since the president took office. The new fines are aimed at approximately 1.4 million migrants who have been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge, the report said.
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