$998 daily fine for ignoring deportation order: Trump's new plan

The administration of President Donald Trump plans to impose fines of up to $998 a day for migrants with deportation orders that they do not leave the country. In addition, it contemplates confiscate their property if they do not pay the fines, according to official documents reviewed by Reuters.

The legal basis for this measure comes from a 1996 law, first applied in 2018 during Trump's first term. According to a senior official on his team, who requested anonymity, the plan includes applying the sanctions retroactively for a period of up to five years, which could mean accumulated fines exceeding one million dollars for some immigrants.

This offensive is part of a broader strategy by President Trump to strengthen immigration control and increasing deportations. During his first term, he already attempted to fine nine migrants sheltering in churches, with fines reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although the fines were initially dropped, they were later reinstated with lower amounts, close to $60.000 per person, according to court records.

Daily fine of $998 for those who do not self-deport

La Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, confirmed in a statement that those who are in the country illegally should use the CBP Home mobile app (formerly CBP One) to "self-deport and leave the country immediately"Otherwise, he warned, "they will face the consequences," including daily fine of $998 for each day they remain after receiving a final deportation order.

According to internal government emails cited by Reuters, the White House is pressuring Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to handle not only the enforcement of fines, but also the seizure and auction of properties of delinquent migrants. Even the involvement of the Department of Justice's civil asset forfeiture division is being considered.

Currently, more than 1,4 million migrants have deportation orders issued by immigration judges in the U.S. Although President Joe Biden suspended these fines upon taking office in 2021, Trump intends to reactivate them, which may have a intimidating effect among migrant communities and its defenders, who already anticipate possible legal challenges.

This measure has been described as one of the most aggressive in recent U.S. immigration policy history, with potential humanitarian, economic, and legal consequences.