Biden Admin Cancels Fines For Illegal Aliens Who Fail To Leave U.S.: Doesn’t Serve Our ‘Best Interest’

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced on Friday that he directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cancel fining illegal aliens who fail to leave the United States, claiming that fining people who are illegally in the U.S. runs “counter to the agency’s best interest.”

“There is no indication that these penalties promoted compliance with noncitizens’ departure obligations,” Mayorkas said. “We can enforce our immigration laws without resorting to ineffective and unnecessary punitive measures.”

Mayorkas, who has presided over an immigration crisis exploding on the southern border under the new administration, claimed that the fines were not effective and did not “meaningfully advanced the interests of the agency.”

DHS said in a statement:

The two delegation orders—ICE Delegation No. 01-2018, Delegation of Authority to Administer and Enforce Provisions Relating to Civil Penalties for Failure to Depart, and ICE Delegation No. 006-2020, Delegation of Authority to Administer Certain Provisions Relating to Civil Penalties for Failure to Depart—delegated to certain ICE officials the authority to administer and enforce certain civil penalties for noncitizens who fail to depart.

“ICE intends to work with the Department of Treasury to cancel the existing debts of those who had been fined,” the statement added. “Although ICE has had the authority to assess financial penalties to individuals for failing to depart for more than 20 years, the agency did not initiate enforcement of these penalties until 2018. As of January 20, 2021, ICE ceased issuing these fines. This formalizes the Biden Administration’s change in direction.”

Former Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf responded to the news by writing: “Just when you think the Biden administration’s immigration policies and agenda can’t get worse … it does.”

“How does [sic] withdrawing a consequence (i.e. fine) and holding individuals accountable when they overstay their visa and fail to depart in the best interests of DHS?” Wolf added.

How does withdrawing a consequence (i.e. fine) and holding individuals accountable when they overstay their visa and fail to depart in the best interests of DHS?

— Chad Wolf (@ChadFWolf) April 23, 2021

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