The Trump administration reportedly plans to roll out an online registry of illegal immigrants as early as this week that would force undocumented migrants to submit personal information or face fines and arrest.
The mandatory registry would require illegal immigrants, including minors over the age of 14, to submit fingerprints and home addresses, according to US Citizens and Immigration Services.
Migrants who fail to register could be fined as much as $5,000 and be sentenced to up to six months in prison, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
“Aliens in this country illegally face a choice,” read a memo from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the incoming policy. “They can return home and follow the legal process to come to the United States or they can deal with the consequences of continuing to violate our laws.”
The move is part of President Trump’s effort to bolster the nation’s immigration laws and enforcement.
Under the current rules, migrants in the country illegally are committing a civil offense, rather than a criminal one, but could still be detained and deported.
The registry aims to get illegal immigrants who haven’t had interactions with the government, such as by seeking asylum or a work permit, on the Department of Homeland Security’s radar.
Illegal migrants will have 30 days to submit their personal information once the registration website is up and running, according to documents viewed by the Wall Street Journal.
“Once an alien has registered and appeared for fingerprinting (unless waived), DHS will issue evidence of registration, which aliens over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their possession at all times,” read a notice on the US Citizens and Immigration Services website posted Tuesday.
“It is the legal obligation of all unregistered aliens (or previously registered children who turn 14 years old) in the United States to comply with these requirements,” the notice continues. “Failure to comply will result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution and the payment of fines.”
Trump’s Day One executive order – Protecting the American People Against Invasion – directed DHS to set up the registry under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and “ensure that failure to comply is treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority.”
“Most aliens in the United States have already registered, as required by law,” according to US Citizens and Immigration Services. “However, a significant number of aliens present in the United States have had no direct way in which to register and meet their obligation under INA 262.”
“In order that unregistered aliens may comply with their duty under INA 262, USCIS is establishing a new form and process by which they may register. No alien will have an excuse for failure to comply with this law.”
The agency notes that “registration is not an immigration status, and registration documentation does not establish employment authorization or any other right or benefit under the INA or any other US law.”
There is precedent for creating such a registry.
In 1940, the US government required all immigrants to register annually in an effort to snuff out suspected communists. The registry proved too costly to maintain and fell into disuse by the 1960s, according to the Journal.
Former President George W. Bush also created an immigration registry in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Tens of thousands of migrants who registered under the Bush-era program were arrested and deported, the Journal reported.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
