Trump Administration Imposes $998 Daily Fines on Migrants Defying Deportation Orders

The Trump administration has unveiled a stringent policy to levy fines of up to $998 per day on migrants who fail to comply with deportation orders, alongside plans to seize their assets if payments are not made.

The measures, rooted in a 1996 immigration law first enforced during Trump’s initial presidency, aim to intensify pressure on approximately 1.4 million individuals ordered removed by U.S. immigration courts.

Documents reviewed by Reuters reveal the penalties may be applied retroactively for up to five years, potentially resulting in fines exceeding $1 million per migrant.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has instructed migrants to use the rebranded CBP Home app—formerly CBP One—to “self-deport,” warning that noncompliance will trigger daily fines and asset forfeiture.

Emails indicate the White House is coordinating with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture division to implement these measures, including the sale of seized properties.

While the Trump administration previously imposed smaller fines during its first term, President Biden halted such penalties in 2021, a policy now reversed under Trump’s renewed crackdown.

Internal memos highlight logistical hurdles, with CBP estimating the need for over 1,000 additional paralegal specialists—tripling current staffing—to manage the fines.

A March 31 email shows White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, pushing CBP to oversee the penalties, while a subsequent memo argued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is better equipped for the task.

The administration has yet to clarify a start date for the fines, which could disproportionately affect low-income households. Analysis by the Migration Policy Institute indicates 26% of unauthorized immigrant households live below the federal poverty line, raising concerns about the policy’s humanitarian impact.

The fines are part of a broader agenda to expedite deportations, including the recent Supreme Court-backed use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to remove alleged Venezuelan gang members.

Critics, such as former ICE official Scott Shuchart, argue the fines are less about legal enforcement and more about instilling fear, particularly in mixed-status households where 10 million migrants reside alongside U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Legal challenges are expected, but the administration appears poised to test the limits of executive authority, leveraging both historic statutes and modern technology to advance its immigration objectives.

As debates over due process and fiscal feasibility mount, the policy underscores the administration’s prioritization of aggressive deterrence measures, reshaping the landscape of U.S. immigration enforcement.