Trump Admin Fining Migrants Thousands to Recoup Deportation Costs

“Putting this fine or bounty on people’s heads makes it feel even more like they’re a fugitive from justice,” Sarah Mehta, deputy director of policy and government affairs for the American Civil Liberties Union’s equality division, told the outlet.

“Overall, the goal is to terrify people and make them feel they have to leave as soon as they can,” she added.

Mehta urged the White House to work with Congress on creating a legal pathway for migrants seeking permanent residency in the United States.

She argued that many of the individuals potentially affected by the proposed fines fled what she described as “horrific” violence and persecution in their home countries.