• Trump seeks to collect immigration fines from deportees
  • CBP plans to track deportees
  • Outstanding debts total $423 million

The administration of President Donald Trump is seeking to expand the collection of unpaid immigration fines from deportees.

The strategy includes hiring a private company to locate individuals who were deported or voluntarily left the United States.

According to a federal contracting notice published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the search would focus, at a minimum, on Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

  • Why it matters: The initiative would allow the U.S. government to directly pursue immigrants living abroad who still owe outstanding immigration fines.

Trump Expands Collection of Immigration Fines

CBP says it needs a specialized company capable of locating individuals outside U.S. territory.

«The contractor must be a U.S.-registered company capable of providing enhanced debtor location services,» the contracting document states.
The solicitation specifies that these services must be available, at a minimum, in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Once an individual is located, the company must notify that person of the amount owed in immigration fines.

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The contractor must also provide different options for resolving the outstanding debt.

These options include paying the full amount immediately or entering into a payment plan.

The debt may be paid either by the immigrant or by a third party.

The company must also prove to U.S. authorities that it has located the correct individual.

To verify a person’s identity, it may collect photographs of the residence, utility bills, or employment-related records.

If the individual has died, the contractor must obtain a death certificate confirming that status.

More Than 66,000 Deported Immigrants Have Outstanding Fines

CBP estimates that approximately 66,387 immigrants who were deported or voluntarily departed the United States still owe unpaid civil immigration fines.

The total amount of these outstanding debts is also significant, according to Infobae.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there were approximately $423 million in unpaid immigration fines as of July.

The Trump administration resumed enforcement of civil immigration fines last year for various violations of U.S. immigration laws.

Among the violations covered is failure to comply with a removal order.

The daily penalty for failing to comply with such an order was originally set at $500 in 1996 under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

After inflation adjustments, the fine has increased to $998 per day.

Private Companies Already Collect Immigration Fines Inside the U.S.

The U.S. government already relies on private companies to recover these debts, although their operations currently take place only within the United States.

CBP maintains contracts with three private debt collection firms.

These companies recover immigration fines and other penalties imposed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The challenge arises when individuals responsible for the debts no longer live in the United States.

When an immigrant resides abroad, collection companies currently attempt to locate them through letters or telephone calls.

However, according to CBP, as of July, none had successfully located a debtor directly in another country.

The proposed contract is intended to expand that capability beyond U.S. borders.

The selected company would be able to locate debtors directly in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, where they currently reside.

CBP emphasized that it does not currently have any debt collection contractor operating outside the United States.

The new solicitation seeks to change that by extending the process of locating and collecting outstanding immigration fines internationally.