What $5,000 apprehension fee means for migrants entering US illegally

The new rule applies nationwide, targets migrants aged 14 and above, and creates a future bar on immigration benefits if unpaid

In a fresh move to curb unlawful entry, the United States has introduced a $5,000 charge for migrants caught entering the country without permission. The rule, announced by US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, applies to anyone aged 14 and above.

 

The penalty was cleared earlier this year under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Banks said on X that the charge is collected at the point of arrest rather than after a court ruling, and applies to anyone detained after entering unlawfully.

 

What is the $5,000 US apprehension fee?

 

The fee is not limited to the southern border. It will apply anywhere in the country and covers people who entered recently as well as those who may have lived in the US for years. The presence of an ongoing immigration case also does not shield a person from the charge if they are found inadmissible under US immigration law.

 

 

Officials have not yet set out how deportation procedures will run alongside the penalty. Paying the amount does not offer legal status, protection from removal or release from custody. 

 

What happens if a person cannot pay?

 

Banks said that the charge becomes an official debt to the US government if a person cannot or chooses not to pay it. He added that those who owe the amount may later be blocked from any immigration benefit or from entering the country lawfully.

 

What is the additional daily penalty for those with removal orders?

 

Separately, authorities earlier this year announced a daily penalty of nearly $1,000 for anyone who remains in the country despite having a deportation order.

 

The Department of Homeland Security said that about 1.9 million foreign nationals have left the United States voluntarily since Trump took office, though it did not specify how many used the CBP app.

 

How many were apprehended at the border recently?

 

Official DHS figures show that around 7,300 people were apprehended at the Mexican border in November, the lowest in decades. The number was slightly lower than in October.