DHS proposes daily fines for migrants defying self-deport orders

Key Takeaways

• DHS proposes daily fines up to $998 for those ignoring final removal orders, retroactive to five years.
• Non-payment could result in civil forfeiture, allowing seizure of assets like homes, vehicles, or bank accounts.
• Approximately 1.4 million people, including mixed-status families, may be affected by these harsher penalties.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rolled out a tough proposal targeting people who are in the United States 🇺🇸 with final removal (deportation) orders but have not left the country. Under the plan, DHS would slap steep daily fines and possibly seize property from those who do not comply. This news comes from measures first set in motion by President Trump and, if put into action, would be one of the strongest pushes yet to force out migrants with outstanding deportation orders.

What’s the Plan?

Here’s a quick look at the main points DHS wants to put in place:

• People who get a final removal order and do not leave could face fines of up to $998 every single day.
• These fines could count for each day someone was supposed to leave over the last five years. That means bills could grow to more than $1 million for many people.
• If people cannot pay, DHS might take property from them through a process known as civil forfeiture. This means seizing things like cars, money in bank accounts, or even homes.
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could manage these actions.
• Around 1.4 million people could be affected.
• Even people who say they plan to leave but don’t actually go could be fined another $1,000 to $5,000.
• DHS would also use an app—“CBP Home”—to notify people and push them to leave the country on their own.

This policy, as reported by VisaVerge.com, represents a sharp expansion of older rules. It’s based on a 1996 federal law that already allowed fines for people staying after removal orders, but the new proposal raises the stakes by making fines much higher and adding asset seizures.

Who Will Feel This the Most?

If these new rules go into action, they will impact a large and diverse group of people:

• Those already ordered to leave, but who stayed because of family, work, fear of returning to their home countries, or delays caused by government programs.
• Mixed-status families, where some members might face these fines even if others are U.S. citizens or have legal status.
• People who were living in the country legally under older parole programs, which were canceled.

It’s not just fines and asset seizures either. Other penalties could include:

• Jail time for those who continue to refuse to leave after being fined.
• Permanent bans from ever applying to return to the United States 🇺🇸 legally.
• Cancellation of Social Security numbers, which would stop people from legally working or getting some government benefits.
• Mandatory sign-ups for a special registry for all foreign citizens who have been in the country for more than thirty days without the right paperwork.

Daily Fines: How They Add Up

Here’s how the numbers could work for just one person:

• Imagine someone with a final removal order staying in the United States 🇺🇸 for three years without leaving.
• Multiply 365 days by $998 per day—that’s about $364,270 in fines for three years.
• Since the fines could stretch as far back as five years, the total could reach or pass $1.8 million.
• If a person pledges to leave but does not, there’s another $1,000 to $5,000 added on.

These are not small sums. Most people in these situations would struggle to pay even a fraction of these fines, making asset seizures much more likely.

What Is Civil Forfeiture?

The plan gives DHS power to use civil forfeiture. This means the government could take away cash, bank accounts, cars, or even homes from people who do not pay their fines. The Department of Justice would help run this program. Both ICE and CBP are being looked at as possible groups to handle the details.

In simple words, if you can’t or won’t pay the daily fines, you might lose your property.

Using Tech to Enforce the Plan

New tech tools are being added to this enforcement push. DHS has rolled out the “CBP Home” app for phones and computers. This app tells people they are meant to leave and encourages them to do so on their own before the government acts. It’s a way to save money and trouble on both sides—if people leave by choice, DHS won’t have to spend as much hunting them down or putting them on planes.

However, if you use the app to say you’ll leave but then stay, you face an extra fine of $1,000 to $5,000. DHS is trying to remove any gray areas—if you have been ordered out, the only way to avoid new penalties is to leave.

Agency Challenges and Staffing

Agencies like CBP and ICE are already tight on people power. If they’re put in charge of managing not just removals but daily fines and asset seizures, they would need to grow—CBP said it would need at least three times the number of paralegals (office workers trained to help lawyers) it has now.

There’s debate inside the government about how to handle so many cases and fines. Even using apps and notices, tracking and fining up to 1.4 million people is a huge job. This leaves the true start date and rollout timeline unclear.

Comparison of Key Measures

Let’s make it plain with a simple table:

How Will This Affect Families and Communities?

Worries are rising in many communities. Critics, including lawyers and immigrant family advocates, say the rules could cause real harm, even to legal residents or U.S. citizens in mixed-status families. Sometimes, whole households share records, addresses, and money—punishing one person with asset seizures or jail time could ripple out and hit parents, children, and even American spouses.

A big part of this concern comes from “data-matching” efforts. For example, if the names in government files are close but not exact, the wrong people could get hit with fines or property seizure notices. Some reports say DHS might even use the Social Security “Death Master File” to check if people are active or not, but this could lead to mistakes if the data is old or wrong.

Another group at risk are people who lived long-term in the United States 🇺🇸 under parole programs that gave them permission to stay. These programs were canceled by executive action, sometimes with little notice. People who once had a green light now find themselves suddenly facing high daily fines, possible asset seizures, and other punishments.

Why Such a Strong Push Now?

President Trump made tough immigration enforcement a big plank of his earlier time in office. Supporters of these new, steeper penalties say they are needed to keep promises made about controlling who stays in the United States 🇺🇸 and to cut down on “Catch and Release,” which is when people are released after arrest but don’t show up to leave.

Advocates for these rules say strict actions like big daily fines and asset seizures are the best way to stop people from trying to wait out the system. They see the cost as a way to force quick choices—leave on your own or face serious financial and legal problems.

Opposition and Legal Risks

But the wave of pushback is strong. Advocacy groups and legal experts say the plan is too harsh and could break laws on “excessive punishment” set by the Constitution. They also warn about the chance of mistakes, language barriers, or confusion knocking innocent people—especially in large families—off the path to legal status forever.

Even inside DHS and other agencies, some question whether the daily fines plan and asset seizures will be workable. With limited staff and a huge number of people to keep track of, the worry is that cases could pile up, slow down, or lead to errors.

There’s also a risk of lawsuits. The courts will likely be asked to decide if these new fines, asset seizures, and bans are fair, or if they go too far.

Immediate and Long-Term Impact

If the proposal goes into effect, here’s what you might see in the short term:

• Many migrants might rush to leave the United States 🇺🇸 or seek legal help as soon as they get warning notices.
• More cases for courts as people challenge their fines, loss of property, or future bans in front of judges.
• Tighter enforcement might increase stress and worry in neighborhoods with many mixed-status families.

Looking farther ahead:

• Some families may break up as people are forced out.
• Jobs and businesses could lose workers suddenly if large groups self-deport or are detained.
• A clearer line might form between people with legal status and those without, but at the cost of social strain and possible civil rights battles.

Where Can You Get Official Information?

Anyone who might be affected, or who has family, friends, or coworkers in this situation, should stay up-to-date using official government resources. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection page explains the process and gives steps on what to do if you must self-deport. Using the right forms and official points of contact can help avoid common mistakes.

Key Takeaways

• DHS is pushing for daily fines of up to $998 and asset seizures to make people obey removal orders.
• Fines can be applied for five years in the past, creating huge possible debts.
• If fines cannot be paid, the government may take property through civil forfeiture.
• Critics say this plan could break up families, go after the wrong people, and invite court cases.
• The policy is not yet set in stone. It faces challenges on staffing, fairness, and legality.
• Official CBP apps and notices are being used to tell people and press them to leave on their own.
• Those with questions or in need of more info should use official government pages and seek trusted legal help.

For families, employers, and anyone interested in U.S. immigration enforcement, the next months will reveal if and how these harsh new penalties from DHS are put into place—and what their real impact will be on the fabric of life in the United States 🇺🇸.

Learn Today

Final Removal Order → A legal order requiring a person to leave the United States, typically after losing immigration court appeals.
Civil Forfeiture → A process where the government seizes property from people accused of violating certain laws, even without criminal conviction.
Mixed-Status Family → A family unit where some members have legal immigration status and others do not within the United States.
Asset Seizure → The act of taking property, such as money, cars, or homes, as payment for unpaid government-imposed fines.
CBP Home App → A new digital tool by DHS used to notify individuals about their removal orders and track voluntary compliance.

This Article in a Nutshell

DHS is considering massive daily fines, asset seizures, and lifetime bans for migrants with final removal orders who don’t depart. This tough proposal could impact 1.4 million people, with fines reaching millions and the risk of civil forfeiture. Critics warn of family separation and legal challenges, while official rollout remains uncertain.
— By VisaVerge.com

Read more:

• US officials use Medicare data to track undocumented immigrants
• US issues new self-deportation notices to paroled immigrants
• German Federal Court OKs deportations to Greece for some migrants
• Alabama House Judiciary Committee backs bill targeting immigrants
• U.S. government targets self-deportation for paroled immigrants