Trump Administration Pressures 100,000 Immigrants With $1.8 Million Fines as Self-Deportation Drive Accelerates
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 22
Trump Administration Pressures 100,000 Immigrants With $1.8 Million Fines as Self-Deportation Drive Accelerates
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 22
Summary
More than 100,000 immigrants have received Homeland Security letters demanding $998 for each day they remained in the U.S. after a judge ruled they had no right to stay.
The fines can reach $1.8 million per person under a five-year statutory limit, turning removal orders into a choice between leaving the country or risking crushing debt.
Trump revived the penalty after returning to the White House last year, ordering agencies to assess and collect all applicable fines as part of his mass-deportation campaign.
The authority dates to a 1996 immigration law, but no president used it before Trump; his first-term effort stalled because of logistical obstacles.
Immigration lawyers say the notices are arriving faster now, signaling a broader shift toward financial pressure to drive voluntary departures.