Trump team has fined immigrants who didn’t self-deport $6 billion — and now it’s coming to collect

Since the return of Donald Trump to office, the Trump administration has been imposing heavy financial penalties on immigrants who defy deportation orders, with fines reaching as high as $1,000 per day. This has led to over $6 billion in accumulated fines, which the administration is now determined to collect. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued around 21,500 of these fines, as part of a broader strategy aimed at pressuring undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the country. The government has promised to waive these fines for those who choose to leave voluntarily, but in recent weeks, it has escalated its efforts by threatening immigrants with lawsuits, debt collectors, and hefty tax bills if they fail to pay the penalties.

The system, which was introduced in June, means that immigrants are not only at risk of deportation and arrest, but also face overwhelming financial debt. Some attorneys have described this tactic as a form of “psychological warfare,” where the threat of financial ruin is used as a tool to force people to leave. DHS has been issuing past-due notices for unpaid fines, applying growing interest, and threatening to garnish tax refunds or report the debts to credit bureaus. In some cases, the fines could be treated as taxable income, adding another financial burden.

The DHS message, according to a senior official, is clear: if you’re in the U.S. illegally, you must leave or face severe consequences. Under the new rules, if immigrants fail to respond to letters within 15 days, they lose their right to appeal. These actions are based on a law passed in 1996, which gave DHS the power to impose fines for failure to comply with deportation orders. However, for decades, these fines were not enforced, as the focus was primarily on deportation, not additional penalties. The situation changed under Trump, who streamlined the process, making it easier to impose fines and pursue collection efforts.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has vowed to collect the funds owed by immigrants, with the Treasury’s Debt Collection Service working alongside ICE to recover the penalties. Immigrants who decide to leave voluntarily can access a program offering up to $1,000 in financial assistance and a free flight home, with the added possibility of returning to the U.S. legally in the future. However, immigrants are required to use the CBP Home app to facilitate their departure, a tool introduced under the Biden administration that Trump has now revoked for those who entered the U.S. using it.

This offer has been criticized by some advocates as misleading, as current immigration laws prevent anyone who has been in the U.S. illegally for more than six months from returning for at least three years, and those who have overstayed for more than a year face a ban of at least 10 years. Immigrants with prior deportation orders also face long waiting periods or outright denials when attempting to re-enter the country.

The administration’s policy has also targeted immigrants who had been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was intended to shield people from countries in crisis. Over 1 million individuals who were protected under TPS are now at risk of deportation, along with another 1 million immigrants who entered the U.S. through the CBP One app. Thousands of others with pending immigration cases have been ordered to court only to find themselves arrested by federal agents afterward. This aggressive stance has led to a significant increase in the number of undocumented immigrants, contributing to the administration’s goal of mass deportations.

Some immigrants have already been hit with enormous fines. For example, a Honduran woman who had lived in the U.S. for 20 years was slapped with nearly $2 million in fines for failing to comply with a 2005 deportation order. She reported living in constant anxiety. Similarly, a mother of four from New York who has been in the U.S. for 25 years and is fighting to overturn her removal order now faces over $2 million in fines. She is also facing additional costs that could push her total penalty above $2.5 million, including the possibility of significant administrative fees.

These tactics, designed to financially cripple immigrants, have drawn criticism for being particularly harsh on vulnerable populations, especially low-wage workers. Despite this, the Trump administration remains committed to its approach, using financial pressure as one of many tools to force undocumented immigrants to leave the U.S.

Source: INDEPENDENT