Immigrants in US illegally could face fines, imprisonment

WASHINGTON: A new directive issued by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday said that the immigrants in the US illegally who fail to register with the federal government could face significant fines, potential imprisonment or both.

“The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws — we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce," a department spokesperson said. "We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.”

All immigrants over the age of 14 who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a US visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer are required to register and be fingerprinted, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website where immigrants can register.

Once an immigrant has registered and been fingerprinted, the Department of Homeland Security will issue evidence of registration, which must be carried by immigrants over the age of 18 at all times, according to the website.

On his return to office last month, President Donald Trump declared illegal immigration at the Mexico border a national emergency and directed the department to ensure that immigrants register with the federal government.

The administration has sought to shut down the previous Biden administration's CBP One entry programme, which had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the US legally by scheduling an appointment on an app.