A man who goes by the name of Sanchez, who is in the United States illegally, received a letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which he told the Arizona Mirror made him nervous, but what really shocked him was the dollar amount the federal government said he owed them: $1,820,252. President Donald Trump is now slapping those in the country illegally with massive fines for not self-deporting.
Sanchez, a Cuban landscaper who came to the U.S. with his family over two decades ago, told the outlet that he was floored by the amount of the fine. The publication only provided this one name for Sanchez in order to protect his identity from the alleged threat of retaliation he might receive for speaking out. According to the landscaper, immigration officials at a checkpoint in El Paso, Texas, told him his green card was valid.
However, he’s now being told that he must pay a fine of $1.8 million for not self-deporting. “I can’t even sleep worrying about it. What am I going to do?” Sanchez said during his interview with the AZ Mirror. He then said that he’s concerned about being able to provide for his three children, all of whom received birthright citizenship.
According to the report, Sanchez has had difficulty working because he is afraid Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take him into custody and deport him. He also revealed that he is now staying away from his family as he claimed to be concerned for their safety, taking odd jobs as they become available. He then told the outlet that he feels like he is already in prison.
The fines are part of a new push by the Trump administration to increase the number of deportations in the country and address the issue of illegal immigration that former President Joe Biden allowed to run rampant during his four years in office. Those critical of the effort say it’s an intimidation tactic that is designed to force immigrants to self-deport and rob them of due process.
The DHS is currently charging illegal aliens who refuse to self-deport up to $998 per day for staying in the country. The fines can be levied for a maximum of five years, which is what is currently happening to Sanchez and other illegal aliens across the nation. “It is all about putting pressure on people, it is not about a reasonable expectation of collection,” Hasan Shafiqullah, an immigration lawyer who is part of a network of attorneys who are fighting back against the fines, said of the effort.
The letter Sanchez and others have received is signed only by “Immigration Officer 1,” but includes very few other details. It does include a link to a QR code that can be scanned in order to set up a payment plan for the fine. The landscaper was asked if he had taken this step yet. He replied that he had not out of fear that it was a trap.
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Sanchez then said that he’s worried that if he tries to pay, authorities will come for him and place him in a detention facility. He’s also concerned that not being able to pay off the fine will result in his being put in prison, so he’s now considering self-deportation. Generously, DHS has stated that individuals who choose to self-deport will have their fines forgiven, but Sanchez doesn’t trust them.