Trump threatens fines and prison time for undocumented immigrants who don’t join registry

The Trump administration will require undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older to register with the federal government or face possible fines or prosecution.

The US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that under the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” executive order signed by Donald Trump last month undocumented immigrants must also provide their fingerprints, while parents must ensure children under 14 are registered. The department will provide “evidence” of their registration and those 18 and over must carry that document at all times.

The announcement comes as Trump has sought to harshly crackdown on immigration and implement a mass deportation campaign. Since taking office, his administration has attempted to suspend a refugee resettlement program (a judge blocked the cancellation), moved to cut off legal aid for immigrant kids (although it later walked back that decision), sought to allow immigration raids in schools and churches (another judge blocked such efforts in some houses of worship) and has begun sending undocumented immigrants to Guantánamo.

Under the program announced this week, undocumented immigrants 14 and older in the US for 30 days or more will be required to register and undergo fingerprinting. Parents and guardians must register children under 14, and once children reach that age they must reapply and be fingerprinted, DHS said on its website. Those who do not comply can face criminal penalties, including misdemeanor prosecution, and fines.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the registry, undocumented immigrants will also be required to provide their home addresses and that failing to register could result in fines of up to $5,000 and six months in prison.

The law has long been on the books, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said in an interview on Fox News, but she will start enforcing it as the Trump administration seeks to use “every single tool at [its] disposal” to implement the president’s promised immigration crackdown. By registering, undocumented immigrants can avoid criminal charges and the federal government will “help them” return to their home country, allowing them to eventually return to the US, she said.

“If they don’t register, they are breaking the federal law, which has always been in place,” Noem said. “We’re just going to start enforcing it to make sure these aliens go back home and when they want to be an American they can go and visit us again.

“We’re going to use this tool to make sure we’re following our law to provide people an opportunity to go home and come back and be a part of our country’s future in the right way,” she continued.

According to the National Immigration Law Center, the Alien Registration Act of 1940 is the only time the federal government implemented a “comprehensive campaign to require all noncitizens to register”. The immigration advocacy group warned that the registry would be used to help find targets for deportation.

“Any attempt by the Trump administration to create a registration process for noncitizens previously unable to register would be used to identify and target people for detention and deportation,” the center said.

The Associated Press contributed to reporting