In a high-profile action on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced a new policy mandating that undocumented immigrants 14 and older register with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and submit fingerprints. Failing to meet the registration and fingerprinting requirements could lead to fines or even imprisonment, a sharp increase in the Trump administration’s efforts against illegal immigration.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stressed the administration’s resolve to enforce these rules. Immigrants will need to register online and establish a USCIS account, which can be accessed on a new online page. After registering and being fingerprinted, illegal immigrants aged 18 and above will be required to carry and show “evidence of registration” at all times, as per the DHS guidelines.
The new requirement will cover all illegal aliens who have been in the U.S. for 30 days or more. Those who are not registered will face harsh penalties, including possible fines and criminal prosecution. People who do not inform the government about address changes or depart the U.S. when they should also suffer the same penalties.
Secretary Noem spoke on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” about the policy, saying that immigrants who go through the registration process could escape criminal charges and fines. She presented the program as a way for immigrants to ultimately return to their countries of origin with the hope of returning legally in the future. “We’re just going to start enforcing it to make sure they go back home,” Noem explained, underscoring the administration’s focus on upholding immigration laws.
Nevertheless, the new policy will likely have robust opposition from immigrant advocacy groups and civil liberties organizations, contending that requiring documentation criminalizes undocumented immigrants. They will further argue that the broad revisions ought to be legislated as new laws and not through policy modifications or executive orders. Critics are also most likely to prosecute the policy in court.
Since President Trump declared a national emergency at the border with Mexico, his government has rolled out a series of policies to reduce undocumented immigration. The latest policy is all part of the overall policy of tightening immigration controls, which has remained contentious across the country.
