The Trump administration has launched a major immigration crackdown, instructing more than one million migrants to leave the U.S. immediately. Those who fail to comply face fines of up to $998 per day, with penalties potentially exceeding $1 million per person. This action is based on a 1996 immigration law, revived during Trump’s first term, which now applies retroactively up to five years.

In addition to daily fines, migrants who do not leave may have their assets seized. The Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture division is reportedly involved in managing these seizures. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are overseeing enforcement.

The directive also affects migrants who entered via the CBP One app, allowing them temporary entry under Biden’s humanitarian parole. The Trump administration has ended these paroles, urging recipients to “self-deport” through the app’s rebranded version, CBP Home. “If they don’t [leave], they will face the consequences,” said a DHS spokesperson.

Immigrant rights groups argue that the policy targets vulnerable families and is meant to instill fear. Critics, including former DHS official Scott Shuchart, claim it is “designed to intimidate, not to manage immigration responsibly.”