The Trump administration plans to begin fining illegal immigrants subject to a deportation order $998 a day if they do not leave the United States.
“Illegal aliens should use the CBP Home app to self-deport and leave the country now. If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Tuesday. “This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
Relying on a 1996 law that went unenforced until President Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, the administration now plans to apply penalties retroactively against illegal immigrants for up to five years—potentially resulting in fines exceeding $1 million, an administration official told Reuters, which first reported the development.
The report also notes that the government may seize property from those who fail to pay the steep penalties.
A flyer obtained by Fox News Digital outlines the “benefits” and “consequences” for illegal immigrants who do not self-deport using the CBP Home app. “Self-deportation is safe,” the flyer reads. “Leave on your own terms by picking your departure flight.”
Other benefits of self-deportation include allowing non-criminal illegal immigrants to retain the money they earned while in the U.S. and preserving their eligibility for potential future legal immigration. In some cases, individuals may even qualify for subsidized flights if they are unable to afford the cost of a ticket.
Meanwhile, in the “consequences” section of the flyer, illegal immigrants are being warned that if they fail to self-deport then will be “apprehended by DHS with no opportunity to get your affairs in order beforehand.”
The flyer also outlines the potential penalties, including a $998-per-day fine for failing to comply with final removal orders, and an additional fine ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for failing to self-deport after stating an intention to do so.
“If you fail to self-deport, you may be subject to jail time,” the flyer concludes, adding that illegal immigrants would also later be “prohibited from reentering the U.S. through the legal immigration system.”
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem isn’t shying away from front-line action during deportation raids ordered by Trump.
Tuesday morning, Noem led around 100 federal agents in a pre-dawn operation in Arizona’s capital, where three illegal migrants were apprehended on charges ranging from weapons and drug offenses to operating a money laundering ring.
The New York Post was on the scene as Noem deftly dodged a kick from one suspect wearing slip-on shoes, quipping, “You’re not scaring me with your Croc.”
The multi-agency task force—led by Phoenix Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and supported by a coalition of federal law enforcement and immigration agencies—apprehended three illegal immigrant felons with lengthy criminal records, The Post reported.
Dressed in full tactical gear, including a flak jacket and her signature two-tone gold Rolex, Noem met with agents from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration in a dimly lit underground parking garage. She shook hands with officers, thanked them for their service, and pledged to secure the resources they need to strengthen their operations.
“The effort of cooperation we have between agencies is getting turned onto steroids. We have this being multiplied across the country exponentially, now anyone who’s in this country illegally that’s committing crimes and has broken our laws will face consequences,” Noem told The Post.
“We’ll be sweeping them up faster than we ever have before,” she added.
Agents received a detailed briefing on the day’s targets before a convoy of a dozen vehicles rolled out—led by Noem behind the wheel of a BearCat armored SWAT vehicle.
Riding alongside Noem was former Trump campaign manager and senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, who introduced himself to federal agents as “chief of staff.” A DHS official later clarified that Lewandowski serves as an adviser to the department and holds the status of a special government employee.