Border Patrol to Implement $5,000 Fee for Detained Undocumented Immigrants, Chief Says

U.S. Border Patrol to Impose $5,000 Fee on Detained Illegal Immigrants

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced that nearly all illegal immigrants detained in the United States will be charged a $5,000 “apprehension fee,” marking the latest measure in the Trump administration’s intensified border enforcement efforts.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Thursday, Banks said the fee will apply to illegal immigrants ages 14 and older who entered the country without inspection, a provision included in President Donald Trump’s immigration legislation signed into law in July.

“This message applies to all illegal aliens — regardless of where they entered, how long they’ve been in the U.S., their current location, or any ongoing immigration proceedings,” Banks wrote in his announcement.

The new fee comes amid broader immigration enforcement actions that have significantly changed the landscape of U.S. border policy. It also follows a lawsuit filed Thursday against the federal government on behalf of 21,500 immigrants who are reportedly facing daily penalties of $998 — potentially reaching up to $1.8 million each — for staying in the country illegally. The plaintiffs’ attorneys argue their clients were attempting to comply with federal immigration laws.

This is not the only financial penalty the administration has introduced. In October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that migrants paroled into the U.S. would face a separate $1,000 fee, which officials described as a measure “to institute accountability and prevent rampant fraud of the parole system.”

The administration has also offered incentives for voluntary departure. This week, DHS launched what it called a “holiday deal of a lifetime,” a “Cyber Monday” incentive offering illegal immigrants a free flight home and a $1,000 bonus for voluntarily leaving the country. According to DHS officials, the average cost to arrest, detain and deport someone is approximately $17,000, making the voluntary program potentially cost-effective.

Those who choose voluntary departure may also qualify for forgiveness of civil fines or penalties incurred for failing to depart, creating a path for possible legal return in the future.

The Trump administration has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of its policy agenda. Officials recently announced that the 2025 fiscal year closed with 237,565 Border Patrol apprehensions, the lowest number since 1970. This dramatic decrease follows several policy changes, including the deployment of additional personnel to the southern border and the termination of “catch-and-release” practices that previously allowed illegal immigrants to remain in the country while awaiting immigration hearings.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told reporters in October that the administration is “on pace to shatter historic records” by reaching 600,000 deportations by the end of Trump’s first year back in office.

According to McLaughlin, more than two million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. this year through various channels: approximately 1.6 million through self-deportation, 515,000 through formal deportation processes, and another 485,000 through arrests.

The new apprehension fee represents yet another tool in the administration’s strategy to deter illegal immigration and encourage those already in the country illegally to depart. The financial penalties, combined with increased enforcement and deportation efforts, signal a fundamental shift in how the federal government approaches immigration enforcement under President Trump’s return to office.

Immigration advocates and legal experts are closely monitoring these developments, with many questioning the legality and practicality of imposing such substantial financial penalties on a population that often lacks significant financial resources.