After the Maryland man, get ready for the sequel to the ‘gut-wrenching’ story: the case of a South Florida woman. The Honduran woman, who wishes to go by the pseudonym ‘Maria’ in the media reports, came to the United States illegally in 2005 and received an order of removal shortly after, in April 2005.
However, she never complied with that order, nor did she show up to her court date to contest it. Therefore, the new Trump administration decided to enforce the $500 per day fine under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. The law in question was passed by Congress after overriding President Truman’s veto in June 1952, but the fine clause was rarely enforced before President Trump’s second term in office.
The Florida woman gave an interview to CBS Miami last weekend. Conspicuously, she chose to do it in Spanish, despite talking to an English-language local TV station, which suggests that she did not bother picking up some English skills in the 20 years she has been residing in the United States illegally. She did, however, decry that separating from her three children—who are US citizens, as per their birthright citizenship—would be very painful for her.
Her attorney, Michelle Sanchez, told CBS Miami—in English—that she will be attacking the legality of the fine in court, as the section labelled ‘date advised’ about the possibility of the fine is left blank on the notice, suggesting she was never formally informed. She also explained that under the Biden administration, ICE attorneys were given the discretion to reopen removal order cases and possibly rescind the orders. However, the new Trump administration has done away with that policy, so it is no longer a possibility for Sanchez and her client.
What is very possible is that her $500 per day fines are still racking up. The notice she received is dated 9 May, which means that, as of today, an additional $5,500 could be added to the sum already owed.
Donald Trump Tough on Immigration as Promised
In the first 100 days after President Trump took office in January, illegal border encounters decreased by a whopping 95 per cent in the United States. In March 2025, the US Border Patrol announced that they apprehended an average of 264 illegal border crossers per day. A year before, in March 2024, that number was 4,488 per day.
As the story above demonstrates, ICE under the new Trump admin also started issuing fines. Actual collections on the judgments may prove difficult, as—even though no law technically bars them—illegal migrants in the US are likely hesitant to put actual property in their names, thus the collection would need to take place in cash.
Meanwhile, the media frenzy over the deportation of El Salvadorian illegal migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia seems to be phasing out. The latest update on the story is Federal Judge Paula Xinis telling attorneys representing the Department of Justice: ‘You haven’t complied, and you haven’t in bad faith,’ while Garcia remains incarcerated in his home country of El Salvador.
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