Trump Administration Threatens Criminal Penalties for Unauthorized Immigrants Who Fail to Register

The Trump administration is taking a hard line on immigration, threatening criminal penalties, including jail time and fines, for unauthorized immigrants over the age of 13 who fail to register with the government. This move is part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration.

The new policy applies to individuals who have been in the U.S. for more than 30 days without submitting fingerprints or registering with the government. This includes those who were never formally admitted or inspected by U.S. immigration officials. Parents or legal guardians of teenagers subject to the registry requirements must register on their behalf.

Those who fail to register could face criminal prosecution. The administration is framing this announcement as a way to encourage unauthorized immigrants to self-deport by enforcing a law that they say has been previously ignored by previous administrations.

The new policy does not apply to legal permanent residents, immigrants who were welcomed under an immigration policy known as parole, or those granted visas, even if they overstayed them. It also does not apply to immigrants granted government work permits or those placed in immigration court proceedings.

This policy change is based on an executive action issued by President Trump last month, just hours after he started his second administration. The plan relies on a World War II-era law that created an immigration registry initially designed to identify suspected communists.