The Trump administration has announced a major escalation in immigration enforcement, declaring that illegal immigrants under final deportation orders will now be fined $998 per day if they fail to leave the U.S. voluntarily. Relying on a previously unenforced 1996 law, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to apply these fines retroactively for up to five years, potentially resulting in penalties exceeding $1 million per person. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized the use of the CBP Home app for self-deportation, urging illegal immigrants to leave “on their own terms” to avoid detention, property seizure, or other legal consequences. DHS flyers warn of jail time, permanent bans from legal reentry, and additional fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for failing to self-deport after declaring an intent to do so.
In a bold public display of the administration’s renewed enforcement drive, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem led a pre-dawn raid in Phoenix, Arizona, alongside over 100 federal agents. The operation resulted in the arrest of three illegal immigrants with serious criminal records, including weapons and money laundering charges. Noem, dressed in tactical gear and wearing a gold Rolex, rode in a BearCat SWAT vehicle, met with agents, and promised increased resources and aggressive expansion of similar raids nationwide. Former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski, serving as an adviser to DHS, accompanied her during the operation. Noem stated the administration’s goal is to remove illegal immigrants “faster than we ever have before,” marking a significant intensification of Trump-era immigration enforcement.
