US Streamlines Rule for Fining Illegal Immigrants, Will Issue Nearly $1,000 Daily Fines for Noncompliance

The agencies will apply greater pressure on illegal immigrants for them to self-deport from the country.

Illegal immigrants walk alongside the U.S.–Mexico border wall after crossing the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 1, 2024. John Moore/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice announced a new joint federal rule that streamlines the process of issuing fines for illegal immigrants, making it easier and more efficient, DHS said in a June 27 statement.

“The current process requires giving illegal aliens 30 days’ notice of the intent to fine them before a fine is issued,” said the statement. The new rule will “eliminate the 30-day notice period, authorize DHS immigration officers to send fines to illegal aliens by regular mail, and shorten the process that applies if illegal aliens contest their fines.”