Federal Judge Clears Trump Plan Requiring Undocumented Immigrants To Register Or Face Penalties

Judge Trevor Neil McFadden has given the green light to the Trump administration's plan requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government.

What Happened: Judge McFadden ruled Thursday in favor of the Trump administration, allowing the enforcement of a policy that mandates undocumented immigrants aged 14 and older to provide their fingerprints or face penalties, including fines or imprisonment, Axios reported.

The rule, effective from Friday, is a part of the administration’s escalated efforts to control undocumented immigration.

The Trump administration first announced this plan in February. In a lawsuit filed by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the administration defended its stance, stating that it was merely enforcing the existing federal immigration law that requires non-citizens to register with the government.

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Under the new rule, undocumented immigrants are required to register and create an account on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) online page. This rule applies to anyone residing in the U.S. for 30 days or more. Once registered and fingerprinted, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will issue “evidence of registration,” which immigrants aged 18 and above must carry with them at all times, as per USCIS.

Why It Matters: This ruling comes amid a series of actions taken by the Trump administration to tighten immigration control. In March, the administration revoked legal status for approximately 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, reversing a key policy from the Biden era. Later that month, President Trump signed an executive order to enhance immigration enforcement in Washington, D.C. 

These measures have sparked criticism, particularly due to their high cost. For instance, the U.S. government spent approximately $40 million in just six weeks to detain fewer than 400 migrants at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, raising concerns among lawmakers about the high cost and military impact of these operations.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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