Trump Admin Fining Migrants Thousands to Recoup Deportation Costs

The United States Department of Homeland Security is preparing to impose steep financial penalties on tens of thousands of migrants to recover the costs associated with their arrest, detention, and deportation under a new Trump administration policy that could also complicate future legal reentry into the United States.

Under the proposal, migrants could face fines of roughly $18,000 each.

Homeland Security officials reportedly acknowledge that the government is unlikely to recover most of the money, particularly given the economic realities in many migrants’ home countries.