The United States is witnessing a dramatic escalation in immigration enforcement as the administration of Donald Trump imposes massive financial penalties on undocumented migrants who have not complied with departure orders. More than 65,000 people have reportedly received fines that can reach up to 1.8 million dollars per individual, creating a collective burden estimated at around 36 billion dollars. Human rights advocates and immigration lawyers describe the policy as unconstitutional, coercive, and psychologically devastating.
One of the most striking cases is that of a 50-year-old Guatemalan woman living in Los Angeles, identified as Rosa, who received a penalty of 1,820,352 dollars for failing to leave the United States after a voluntary departure order issued years earlier. Recovering from a severe stroke and suffering from chronic illnesses including diabetes and hypertension, she says the fine has intensified her health crisis and left her in constant fear. With only her husband’s modest income supporting the household, repayment under normal conditions would take decades, making the debt effectively unpayable under any realistic scenario.
The fines are part of a broader enforcement strategy revived under Trump’s second term, based on legal provisions dating back to 1996 that allow daily penalties of up to 1,000 dollars for each day a migrant remains in the country after a removal order. In many cases, the accumulated total reaches the maximum of 1.8 million dollars, with authorities warning that additional interest and administrative fees could further increase the debt. The Department of Homeland Security has given recipients as little as 15 days to pay or leave the country, with deportation framed as the only alternative to cancellation.
Officials have defended the policy as a deterrent against irregular migration, stating that individuals who remain unlawfully in the country must “leave now or face consequences.” However, the administration has not disclosed how much money has been collected or how many people have complied by departing the United States. Reports from legal aid organizations suggest that some wages and assets have already been seized, and that enforcement may extend to bank accounts, property liens, credit reporting agencies, and referrals to private debt collectors.
Immigration lawyers say the impact on families is severe and immediate. Many of the affected migrants have low-income jobs, limited savings, and dependents, making repayment impossible. Attorneys argue that the system is designed not to recover funds but to pressure people into self-deportation through financial fear. Legal experts also warn that the policy raises constitutional concerns because it imposes extreme civil penalties without individualized assessment and without jury trials.
Beyond the financial burden, the psychological toll has been significant. Migrants describe constant anxiety, fear of arrest, and severe stress over potential enforcement actions. In another case, a Mexican construction worker in California says the fine has disrupted his family life and forced him to consider transferring assets to relatives in anticipation of possible seizures. He describes living in a state of constant fear since receiving the notice, unsure whether normal daily activities could expose him to immigration authorities.
Advocacy groups have filed legal challenges arguing that the fines violate due process and disproportionately punish vulnerable individuals, including those who were unaware of their legal status or missed court notices due to illness or other circumstances. A class-action lawsuit is currently underway, seeking to suspend enforcement of the penalties on constitutional grounds.
Human rights organizations and immigration defenders warn that the policy represents a broader strategy of “economic coercion” aimed at accelerating self-removals from the country. Critics argue that rather than addressing migration through legal reform or humanitarian measures, the approach relies on financial pressure that risks pushing thousands of families into poverty and legal limbo.
As legal battles continue, migrants across the United States remain caught between impossible financial demands and the threat of deportation, with many describing the policy as a form of punishment that extends far beyond immigration enforcement into the realm of economic and psychological distress.
