"First Time Seeing a Million-Dollar Fine"
"Plans to Contest the Notice of Fine"
An undocumented immigrant residing in the United States has been fined more than 2.5 billion won for failing to leave the country despite receiving a deportation order 20 years ago.
According to CBS News on May 15 (local time), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent a notice of fines totaling $1,821,350 (approximately 2.54 billion won) to a 41-year-old woman living in Florida on May 9.
Photos of illegal immigrants arrested at the White House entrance are lined up. Photo by AP Yonhap News
This woman, who has three children with U.S. citizenship, received a deportation order in April 2005 but continued to reside in the United States. ICE imposed a daily fine of $500 during this period.
This is the maximum administrative penalty allowed under the Immigration and Nationality Act, enacted in 1952. According to this law, all non-citizens residing in the United States must register with the government. If a person who has received a deportation order does not leave, administrative sanctions, including a fine of up to $500 per day, can be imposed.
The woman received a deportation order after failing to appear in court in 2005. In 2024, she requested that authorities reopen her case and lift the deportation order, arguing that she was eligible to apply for residency because she had lived in the United States for more than ten years and had no criminal record. At that time, under the Joe Biden administration, ICE had the discretion to reopen cases in order to lift deportation orders.
However, at the time, hundreds of thousands of cases were pending. By March of this year, ICE notified her that, under the current Donald Trump administration, it had not received guidance regarding prosecutorial discretion and therefore could not reopen her case.
Photos of illegal immigrants arrested at the White House entrance are displayed in a row. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The woman's attorney, Michelle Sanchez, said that while it has become more common for her undocumented clients to receive fines from ICE, this is the first time she has seen a penalty in the million-dollar range. She explained, "ICE sends individuals notices of enormous fines, causing them to live in fear," adding, "Some people will never earn that amount in their lifetime."
The woman reportedly plans to contest the fine, claiming she was not informed of the consequences of failing to leave the country after receiving a deportation order. Sanchez stated, "We welcome the orderly application of immigration law and the protection provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP)," but added, "However, the law must be respected, and when rights are trampled, there will be consequences."
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