The Trump administration plans to fine migrants under deportation orders up to $998 a day if they fail to leave the United States and may seize their property if they do not pay. These fines, stemming from a 1996 law enforced for the first time during Trump’s term, could be applied retroactively for up to five years, resulting in fines of over $1 million. Immigrants in the U.S. illegally are being urged to use a mobile app to self-deport, or face consequences including the fines. The White House has been pressuring U.S. Customs and Border Protection to handle the penalties and property seizures for non-compliance. However, some argue that the fines are meant to instill fear in communities rather than enforce the law. Biden has stopped issuing the fines, but the threat remains, impacting migrants with no legal status living in mixed-status households with U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Seizing assets could also affect citizens or residents in these households. Concerns have been raised about the impact of these fines on lower-income immigrants, with data showing that a significant percentage of households with unauthorized immigrants have incomes below the poverty line. The start date for the fines remains unclear, with doubts raised about CBP’s capacity to implement the fines effectively.
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