The U.S. authorities intend to oblige illegal immigrants to register in a special registry, otherwise they will face a fine or imprisonment. The Wall Street Journal reported.
Under the White House’s proposal, all illegal immigrants aged 14 and older will be required to pass fingerprinting procedure and provide their home addresses. If they fail to do so, they can be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned for up to six months.
Previously, illegal stay in the U.S. could lead to detention and deportation, but it was not considered a criminal offense.
To implement this initiative, Washington intends to use the «vague provisions of immigration law,» the media outlet notes. After the registry is launched, undocumented immigrants will have 30 days to provide information about themselves.
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. administration decided to suspend the entry of migrants from Mexico by disabling the CBP One app. This service, launched in 2023 under President Joe Biden’s administration, allowed migrants to schedule appointments to enter the U.S. through official checkpoints.
Meanwhile, Russia has launched a register of controlled persons.
