Trump Enforces 30-Day Rule for Immigrants, Announces More Penalties: "Self-Deport Now"
- As immigration laws tighten globally, Nigerians living or staying in the United States are invited to pay attention to a new federal policy
- The U.S. government has announced strict new rules requiring all foreigners who remain in the country beyond 30 days
- These immigrants must register or face serious consequences, including jail, daily fines, among others
Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.
Immigrants in the United States of America are coming under renewed scrutiny as President Donald Trump has introduced what many are calling his toughest immigration rule to date.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that all foreign nationals staying in the country for over 30 days must register with the federal government.
Non-compliance may result in daily fines, deportation, imprisonment, or even a permanent re-entry ban.
Source: Getty Images
The agency announced this via a post on its X handle, tagging President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The post, titled; Message to Illegal Aliens, read;
“Foreign nationals present in the U.S. longer than 30 days must register with the federal government. Failure to comply is a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment. @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have a clear message to Illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW and self-deport.”
Recall that over 200 Nigerians have been deported in the last four months since President Trump resumed office.
Trump Urges ‘Illegal Aliens’ to self-deport
In another post, the US DHS urged illegal aliens to use the CBP app to self-deport, to avoid the daily fines of nearly $1,000 for every day spent after the final deportation order.
The consequences include;
- Immediate deportation: You may be apprehended by DHS with no opportunity to get your affairs in order beforehand.
- Fines and penalties: A fine of $998 per day if you received a final order of removal and stayed.
- A fine of $1,000–$5,000 if you fail to self-deport after claiming that you will.
- Possible imprisonment: If you fail to self-deport, you may be subject to imprisonment.
- Barred from returning: You may be prohibited from reentering the US through the legal immigration system.
Benefits of self-deportation
The DHS further urged the affected immigrants to register without delay to avoid receiving extreme penalties.
Those who self-deport get to;
- Pick their own departure flight.
- Retain their earnings in the U.S. if they haven’t committed crimes.
- Remain eligible for future legal immigration pathways.
- Apply for a subsidised return flight if they cannot afford to leave.
Who does this affect?
DHS clarified that individuals on valid visas such as H-1B or F-1 are currently exempt, but once those visas expire, they will be subject to the same requirements.
Source: Getty Images
Residents on tourist visas, student visas, and other temporary visas are affected by this directive once their visas become invalid or expire.
Recall that the Trump administration recently launched the self-deport app, allowing illegal immigrants to voluntarily return to their country and explore legal means of coming to the US in the future.
Trump mulls travel ban on 41 countries
President Trump's administration is reportedly considering issuing extensive travel restrictions on citizens from dozens of countries.
Legit.ng gathers that the proposed measures would result in varying levels of visa suspensions for 41 nations, divided into three categories.
Under the first category, a total of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea, among others, could face a complete suspension of US visa issuance.
The second category outlines partial visa suspensions for five countries: Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
The restrictions would target tourist and student visas, as well as certain immigrant visas, with some exceptions.
A third group of 26 countries, which includes Belarus, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, could also face partial visa suspensions.
Meanwhile, some of the African countries listed for the travel restrictions include: Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, South Sudan, Angola, Cameroon, and so on. As of the time of filing this report, Nigeria is not on the list.
Trump cancels over 900,000 visas
In related news, Legit.ng reported that migrants who entered the United States using the CBP One app under the ex-president Joe Biden-era parole programme have been instructed to leave the country “immediately".
More than 900,000 migrants were affected by this directive, which came on the heels of the cancellation of the CBP One programme.
The Department of Homeland Security cited border security as the reason and urged self-deportation via the renamed CBP Home app.
This article has been updated by head of business desk, Victor Enengedi, with additional information.
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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
