Wendy Ortiz, a migrant living in Pennsylvania, received a notice from US immigration authorities informing her of a $1.8 million fine for staying in the country illegally. The fine, issued under a recent policy shift by the Trump administration, aims to penalise migrants who remain in the US despite a final deportation order.
Ortiz, 32, works at a meatpacking plant earning $13 per hour. She has lived in the United States for the last ten years. She said she fled El Salvador to escape a violent ex-partner and gang threats. Ortiz now supports her autistic son, who is a US citizen. “It’s not fair,” she said. “Where is someone going to find that much money?”
According to a senior Trump administration official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, immigration authorities have issued fines to around 4,500 migrants in recent weeks. These penalties collectively exceed $500 million. Fines range from a few thousand dollars to as high as $1.8 million.
Migrants who receive these notices have 30 days to respond. They must submit written statements under oath and provide supporting evidence to explain why the fine should not be enforced.
The fines are part of a broader strategy introduced by the Trump administration to encourage “self-deportation.” Under this policy, migrants who ignore deportation orders can be fined $998 for each day they remain in the country. The administration has indicated that fines may be applied retroactively for up to five years, which explains the $1.8 million maximum.
The government has also signalled the possibility of seizing the property of migrants who are unable to pay these fines. However, it is still unclear how the fines would be collected or how property seizures would be carried out.
Documents reviewed by Reuters show that the fines are being issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been tasked with processing the fines and handling any property forfeitures. The US Department of Homeland Security has not issued a public comment on the matter.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Ortiz, 32, works at a meatpacking plant earning $13 per hour. She has lived in the United States for the last ten years. She said she fled El Salvador to escape a violent ex-partner and gang threats. Ortiz now supports her autistic son, who is a US citizen. “It’s not fair,” she said. “Where is someone going to find that much money?”
According to a senior Trump administration official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, immigration authorities have issued fines to around 4,500 migrants in recent weeks. These penalties collectively exceed $500 million. Fines range from a few thousand dollars to as high as $1.8 million.
Migrants who receive these notices have 30 days to respond. They must submit written statements under oath and provide supporting evidence to explain why the fine should not be enforced.
The fines are part of a broader strategy introduced by the Trump administration to encourage “self-deportation.” Under this policy, migrants who ignore deportation orders can be fined $998 for each day they remain in the country. The administration has indicated that fines may be applied retroactively for up to five years, which explains the $1.8 million maximum.
The government has also signalled the possibility of seizing the property of migrants who are unable to pay these fines. However, it is still unclear how the fines would be collected or how property seizures would be carried out.
Documents reviewed by Reuters show that the fines are being issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been tasked with processing the fines and handling any property forfeitures. The US Department of Homeland Security has not issued a public comment on the matter.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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