The Trump administration has created a registry for illegal migrants to submit their personal information or else face penalties such as fines or prison time.
Illegal migrants 14 years or older living in the United States must register and provide fingerprints on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) account, according to an announcement from the agency Tuesday. The registration applies to illegal migrants who have not previously interacted with the government, such as those who’ve applied for asylum or properly entered the country through a port of entry.
Parents or guardians of illegal migrant children under 14 must ensure their children are also registered, according to USCIS. The registration is mandatory of any illegal migrant who has resided in the U.S. 30 days or longer.
“It is the legal obligation of all unregistered aliens (or previously registered children who turn 14 years old) in the United States to comply with these requirements,” the USCIS announcement stated. “Failure to comply will result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution and the payment of fines.”
The establishment of a registry for migrants is not novel in the U.S. All migrants who apply to live in the U.S permanently receive a unique Alien Registration Number, otherwise known as an A number. This requirement applies to all migrants who apply for a green card via family ties, employment, refugee status or other means and also applies to non-citizens on temporary F-1 student visas.
A law enacted in 1940 to catch communists established an immigration registry, requiring migrants and other permanent residents to register annually at local post offices, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, that system eventually fell into disuse.
On his first day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure non-citizens comply with their obligation to register with the federal government. Failure to comply, the order stated, could be met with civil and criminal penalties.
The new USCIS registry is the latest in the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and restore an orderly immigration process. DHS announced Tuesday that penalties would be imposed on illegal migrants who fail to depart the country, fail to register with the government and get fingerprinted or fail to inform the government of address changes.
“President Trump and [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated in a press release. “If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.”
“The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws — we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce,” McLaughlin continued. “We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.”
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