The Trump administration has announced that illegal immigrants who refuse to leave the U.S. after receiving a final deportation order could face daily fines of nearly $1,000.
This new move enforces a law from the 1990s, which allows fines to be applied retroactively for up to five years—meaning penalties could exceed $1 million per person.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), urged illegal immigrants to use the CBP Home app to self-deport immediately.
“If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” she said. “This includes a fine of $998 for every day they overstay after their deportation order.”
A recent government flyer outlines benefits for those who self-deport. Non-criminal immigrants can keep their U.S. earnings and may be eligible to apply for legal immigration in the future.
It also notes that assistance is available for those who can’t afford a plane ticket to leave the country.
However, the flyer also includes a strong warning: anyone who refuses to leave could be picked up by DHS without warning and may even face jail time.
At the Republican National Convention, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) said, “The reason we have so many illegal immigrants here is because past administrations didn’t enforce the laws Congress passed. Now, we’re finally doing that.”
Rogers added that the recent rise in self-deportations shows that even the threat of real enforcement is enough to make many people leave on their own. “People know what the law is,” he said. “They understand the risks of staying.”
According to officials, more than 5,000 illegal immigrants have already used the CBP Home app to voluntarily leave the country.
This is part of a larger messaging campaign by the Trump administration to promote self-deportation.
President Trump also commented on the new enforcement effort: “Leave now and self-deport. If they do that, they might have a chance to return legally in the future.”
But he also made it clear that those who stay and ignore the law won’t get that chance. “If you don’t self-deport, we will find you, deport you, and you will never be allowed back into the United States,” Trump said.
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