The Trump administration is planning to impose steep daily fines and seize property from undocumented migrants who fail to comply with deportation orders, according to a report by Reuters.
Citing internal documents and government emails, the report stated that migrants who remain in the United States despite a final deportation order could be fined up to $998 per day — with the penalties being applied retroactively for up to five years. This could lead to individual fines exceeding $1 million in some cases, a senior Trump official told the agency on condition of anonymity.
The fines are based on a 1996 law that was first enforced in 2018 during Trump’s first term. The administration is also considering using civil asset forfeiture to seize the property of those who fail to pay the fines, the Reuters report said.
Responding to queries from the news agency, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said migrants in the country illegally should use a rebranded app, CBP Home (formerly CBP One), to "self deport and leave the country now." If not, they would face the consequences, which include the $998 daily fine.
The plan targets approximately 1.4 million people who have been ordered removed by immigration judges. While some enforcement actions under this law were initiated during Trump’s previous term — including hefty fines against migrants taking sanctuary in churches — the policy was rolled back by President Joe Biden after he took office in 2021.
The report also highlights internal debate within government agencies about how to implement the policy. While the White House reportedly asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to administer the fines, a CBP memo reviewed by the news agency recommended the task be assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing technical and staffing limitations.
The memo suggested that CBP would need to hire at least 1,000 new paralegal specialists — more than triple its current capacity — to manage the fines and property seizures effectively.
The report also noted that the White House National Security Council and Trump aide Stephen Miller have been involved in pushing the initiative forward.
Critics have warned that such measures would have a chilling effect on immigrant communities and could impact U.S. citizens or legal residents in "mixed-status households." Immigration advocacy group FWD.us estimates that around 10 million undocumented migrants live in households with citizens or green card holders.
Scott Shuchart, a former ICE( Immigration and Customs Enforcement) policy adviser under Biden,who spoke to Reuters told that the threat of such fines may be more about spreading fear than law enforcement. “Their point isn't really to enforce the law, it's to project fear in communities,” he was quoted as saying.
The timeline for implementing the proposed fines remains unclear, and DHS has not commented on the involvement of top Trump aides or the technical feasibility of the plan.
Amid the U.S. administration's push for stricter immigration enforcement, MEA has told the Parliament that 682 Indian nationals have been deported from the U.S. since January 2025, most of whom had attempted to enter illegally.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said deportations followed due verification and are unlikely to affect remittance flows. He added that India continues to engage with the U.S. on mobility frameworks and is cracking down on illegal immigration networks based on inputs from deportees.
