In a bold escalation of its immigration enforcement strategy, the incoming Trump administration is set to impose daily fines of up to $998 on migrants who defy deportation orders, with plans to seize property from those who fail to pay, according to internal documents obtained by Reuters. The policy, rooted in a 1996 law, could see retroactive penalties stretching back five years, potentially saddling individuals with fines exceeding $1 million.
The measures, slated for implementation following President Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, aim to target approximately 1.4 million migrants with final deportation rulings. A senior Trump official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the administration’s intent to enforce the penalties aggressively, reviving a tactic briefly tested during Trump’s first term in 2018. Back then, fines reached hundreds of thousands of dollars before being scaled back or rescinded under President Joe Biden in 2021.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has urged undocumented immigrants to “self-deport” using the rebranded CBP Home app, warning of severe consequences for noncompliance. “Failure to leave will trigger daily fines of $998,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, echoing a March 31, 2025, social media alert. Internal emails reveal White House pressure on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to execute the plan, though CBP has pushed for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take the lead due to logistical challenges.
Critics, including former ICE official Scott Shuchart, argue the policy is designed to instill fear rather than enforce law, potentially affecting “mixed status households” where undocumented immigrants live with U.S. citizens or legal residents. With 26% of such households below the poverty line, per the Migration Policy Institute, the financial burden could be devastating. The administration, however, insists that those with final deportation orders remain a top priority for removal, regardless of their ties to American communities.
