ICE uses fines and lawsuits to pressure migrants to self-deport, lawyers say
In June, the Trump administration announced new regulations to streamline the process of issuing fines to immigrants who are in the country illegally
With deportation orders and fines of up to $1.8 million, the Donald Trump administration began a strategy to pressure immigrants to self-deport and thus avoid monetary penalties.
According to statements on ABC News, Merle Kahn, an attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said the fines were never enforced until 2017, during Trump’s first term, and were rarely enforced. When Joe Biden took office, he waived them all. “Now they’ve started reimposing fines and increased them,” Kahn said. “They could receive fines of more than $1.8 million if they have an outstanding deportation order and do not leave.”
In June, the Trump administration announced new regulations to streamline the process of issuing fines to immigrants who are in the country illegally, including new fines, reduced time to appeal, and the elimination of a 30-day notification period.
That same month, ICE said it had issued more than $10,000 fines.
The fines include between $100 and $500 for each illegal entry or attempted entry, and up to $998 per day, assessed for up to five years, for failure to comply with a removal order.
Immigration attorneys call the fines a “scare tactic” to force people to self-deport.
“There is absolutely no consideration of the circumstances that led the person to not leave,” Kahn said. "It doesn't matter if they never received the notice, and the process for challenging these fines is really short." Edward Cuccia, a New York immigration attorney, said he has clients who work minimum wages and have received millions in fines. He added that the government is spending more on sending the notices than it will ever collect. In an escalation, the Trump administration is now suing some of the immigrants who received these fines.
“If you do not pay the full amount by the deadline indicated below, the Department of Justice may pursue legal action against you at any time,” states a notice included in a recent lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice. “However, you can avoid payment by voluntarily leaving the United States immediately.”