A Florida woman has reportedly racked up over $1.82 million in civil penalties after failing to comply with a deportation order issued two decades ago.
The 41-year-old undocumented immigrant from Honduras, who has lived in the United States since at least 2005, was fined $500 per day for each day she remained in the country following her removal order, according to documents obtained by CBS News.
Newsweek reached out to the woman’s attorney for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump returned to the White House with a renewed pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, responding to a surge in southwest border crossings over the past four years.
The administration is ramping up efforts to accelerate deportations; however, federal authorities are constrained by limited resources and detention space. It has launched a nationwide campaign urging migrants without legal status to self-deport.
What To Know
The removal order was issued in April 2005 after the woman failed to appear at a scheduled immigration court hearing, according to CBS News.
Since then, she has continued to reside in Florida and is now the mother of three U.S. citizen children.
Her attorney, Michelle Sanchez, filed a motion in 2024 to reopen the case, arguing that her client was eligible for legal residency due to her long-term presence in the U.S. and her clean criminal record.
However, the motion was denied in March 2025, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) citing a lack of prosecutorial discretion guidance from the Trump administration.
The fine was issued under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows for civil penalties against individuals who fail to depart the U.S. after receiving a removal order.
While the law permits fines of up to $500 per day, such penalties have historically been rare. Sanchez noted that while she has seen an increase in fines issued to undocumented immigrants in recent years, this is the first instance she has encountered involving a fine exceeding $1 million.
“I welcome the orderly application of immigration law and I welcome CBP protecting us,” Sanchez said, “but the laws have to be respected and if rights are trampled, there has to be consequences.”
Paul Sancya/Seth Wenig/AP
Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced in May that it would offer up to $1,000 to undocumented immigrants who voluntarily self-deport, rather than wait for arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Eligible individuals must use the CBP One app to document their departure to receive the payment.
It comes after the federal government said migrants without legal status could face fines of up to $998 per day if they fail to self-deport. The fines could deter undocumented immigrants from staying in the country and lead to them signing up to self-deport.
The proposed fines target roughly 1.4 million undocumented immigrants who have been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge.
What People Are Saying
A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Newsweek in April: “Illegal aliens should use the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] Home app to self-deport and leave the country now. If they don’t, they will face the consequences. This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
Attorney Michelle Sanchez told CBS News: “ICE is terrorizing individuals without even having to go pick them up.”
“They are terrorizing them by sending these notices where they are fining individuals an exorbitant amount of money that a person sometimes doesn’t even make that amount in their lifetime.”
What Happens Next
ICE has not publicly commented on the case. The woman’s legal team is exploring further legal avenues to challenge the fine.
