Washington DC - President Donald Trump and his administration have reportedly been charging undocumented immigrants hefty fines for not leaving the country.

According to The New York Times, over 100,000 people recently received letters from the Department of Homeland Security informing them they owe $998 for each day they have stayed in the US, as an immigration judge ruled they have no legal right to remain.

Under a five-year statutory limit, the accumulated penalties can reach $1.8 million per person.

In one case, a Mexican woman who has been in the US for 17 years on a work visa and currently has an active humanitarian visa application was notified that she owes $1,820,352.

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Along with the letter was a flier titled, "Self-Deport with CBP Home and Leave on Your Own Terms," which promised the mother of three "forgiveness" on the fines if she leaves using a government app.

Upon returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has pushed an aggressive immigration agenda, which has involved sending federal agents to cities across the country to enact deportation sweeps.

Legislation implemented in 1996 allows fines to be collected for immigrants failing to heed a removal order, but Trump is the first president to attempt to do so.

Fox News reports the Trump administration has issued more than 100,000 civil fines totaling roughly $84 billion, while collecting more than $1 billion in payments.

Legal aid organizations and lawyers representing individuals have filed lawsuits to block the policy, arguing the financial penalties violate due process and the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on excessive fines.