US Government Pursues Deported Migrants for Unpaid Fines
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US Government Pursues Deported Migrants for Unpaid Fines
- The Trump administration is pursuing deported migrants abroad to recover an estimated $423 million in unpaid fines and fees from over 66,300 individuals.
- This initiative, which began with the Trump administration's return to office on January 20, 2025, involves hiring private contractors to locate individuals in countries like Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.
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The U.S. government is expanding its immigration enforcement efforts beyond its borders, aiming to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid penalties from deported migrants. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeking to recover approximately $423 million in fines and fees from more than 66,300 individuals who have been removed from the United States.
To facilitate this, the government has engaged private contractors, awarding two-year contracts totaling up to $36 million to four firms: Global Recovery Group, The Baptiste Group, Caduceus Inc., and Response AI Solutions. These contractors are tasked with locating deportees in countries such as Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. They may use various methods, including home photographs, utility records, employment details, and court documents, to find individuals and assess their ability to pay.
The fines are partly based on a 1996 immigration law that allows the government to impose daily penalties on individuals who refuse to leave the U.S. after being ordered to depart. These penalties can accumulate significantly, with some migrants facing fines of nearly $1,000 per day, potentially leading to bills of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. For instance, some immigrants still pursuing legal cases to remain in the U.S. have received bills of $1 million or more.
From January 20, 2025, through July 16, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued over 103,000 civil fines totaling more than $84 billion, though only about $1.2 million had been collected by July 16, 2026. Unpaid fines could impact future U.S. immigration applications. While the administration has pursued collection through lawsuits, tax-refund seizures, and wage withholding, the methods for enforcing these debts against individuals living overseas are not yet clearly defined in public documents.