The Trump administration is set to impose fines of $998 per day on illegal immigrants who are under a deportation order and fail to leave the United States.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told Fox News, “Illegal immigrants should use the CBP Home app to self-deport and leave now. If they do not, they will face consequences.”
These consequences include the daily fine of $998 for each day they overstay their final deportation order.
The administration plans to apply this penalty retroactively, utilizing a 1996 law that was not enforced until Trump’s first term in 2018.
This could result in fines exceeding $1 million over a period of up to five years, according to an administration official speaking to Reuters. There is also the possibility of property seizure for those who fail to pay the penalties.
A flyer distributed to Fox News Digital outlines the “benefits” and “consequences” of self-deportation via the CBP Home app.
“Self-deportation is safe,” the flyer says, encouraging individuals to leave on their own terms by booking a flight.
Some of the benefits include allowing non-criminal illegal immigrants to keep the money they earned in the U.S. and preserving their eligibility for future legal immigration.
Additionally, some individuals may qualify for subsidized flights if they struggle to afford the cost.
On the other hand, the flyer warns that those who do not self-deport will be apprehended by DHS without a chance to settle their affairs first.
It also outlines potential fines, including the $998 daily fine for not adhering to final removal orders and a fine between $1,000 and $5,000 for failing to self-deport after indicating an intention to do so.
The flyer concludes by stating that failure to self-deport could result in jail time, as well as a ban from reentering the U.S. through the legal immigration system.
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