The United States government has said that all foreign nationals staying in the country longer than 30 days without registration will face steep penalties, including fines and jail time and urged them to self-deport. Most importantly, self-deportation keeps the doors open for legal immigration of the person concerned in the future.
“Foreign nationals staying in the US longer than 30 days must register with the Federal Government. Failure to comply is a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Saturday.
“POTUS Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message to illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW and self-deport,” the department said in a social media post while tagging President Donald Trump’s office and Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS, in a post titled ‘Message to Illegal Aliens’ asks foreign nationals staying without clearance from authorities to self-deport. It also lists the benefits of doing so.
While this latest move will not immediately impact legal visa holders - such as those with H-1B work permits or student visa but aims to tighten immigration enforcement.
The individuals to be affected include H-1B visa holders who lose their jobs but remain in the country past their grace period. International students must remain in strict compliance with their visa terms or risk being considered unlawfully present.
The Department of Homeland Security’s directive outlines severe penalties for those who overstay or fail to register with the government after 30 days. These include $998 per day in fines for those who stay after receiving a final order of removal.
$1,000 to $5,000 fines have been set for individuals who declare they will leave but then fail to self-deport. Possible jail time for those who fail to self- deport and lifetime bans from future legal immigration to the US are other measures put into effect.
Stating that ‘self deportation is safe’, the DHS outlined the benefits for immigrants, pointing out that individuals can choose their departure flight and avoid criminal records in the process.
Also, those who self-deport can keep their earnings if they leave voluntarily, provided they do not face criminal charges. Those unable to afford travel may even be eligible for a subsidised flight home. Most importantly, self-deportation keeps the door open for legal immigration in the future.
The DHS notification comes amid a US district court order to make the Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that everyone living in the US illegally must register with the Federal Government and carry documentation.
All immigrants, including Indians, who have H1-B visas and Green Cards, are now required to carry their legal status documents 24X7 in the US, as per new rules which came into force from April 11. There are around 5.4 million Indians in the United States. According to 2022 data, there are 2,20,000 illegal Indian immigrants in the US. This constitutes just 2 per cent of the total number of illegal immigrants.