A federal judge has put a stop for now to the Trump administration’s efforts to collect massive fines from more than 100,000 immigrants accused of remaining in the U.S. without authorization.
“The plaintiffs here face assessment and possible collection of enormous fines well beyond their capacity to pay,” wrote U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr.
in addition to calling the fines “crippling,” the judge also said the government failed to review individual cases before sending out citations, pointing to one woman who received a fine despite being a lawful permanent resident.
“The government has fined some people who, there either wasn't even a deportation order or it has since been lifted,” said David Bennion, executive director of Free Migration Project one of the attorneys representing immigrants who are challenging the fees in an ongoing lawsuit.
Customs and Border Protection has been using a rarely enforced law to fine immigrants up $1.8 million.
A Scripps News ICE Inc. investigation in September also found the fines can include hundreds of thousands of dollars in unexplained penalties and fees added by private debt collectors.
Customs and Border Protection has awarded at least three contracts for debt collection, including to Continental Service Group LLC. One bill from the company reviewed by Scripps News included more than $500,000 in “administrative costs” and $60,000 in “penalties.”
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Immigrants told Scripps News they had to choose between going back to a country where they feel unsafe or staying in the U.S. as debt collectors target them for fines and fees they can’t possibly pay.
“The goal of the government is to make life so unbearable for the people that they're targeting that people decide to self-deport,” Bennion said.
Customs and Border Protection told Scripps News the agency is ensuring people meet their legal obligations, including payment of immigration-related fines spelled out in law.
The judge's order only applies to citations issued between June 2025 and October 2026 and can be reversed at any time as the lawsuit plays out.
