Trump Admin Looks to Charge Some Immigrants $18K to Deport Them

The Trump administration is considering tripling the amount some immigrants are fined if they miss court hearings and are later deported.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the amount immigrants currently pay is not enough to cover the cost of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents locating, detaining and deporting them.

The proposed change comes amid a sharp rise in people failing to appear for immigration court hearings, which experts say is a result of multiple factors, including fear of detention.

“The move to 18K for in absentia orders, where it is not clear if the recipient even knew about the hearing is extreme,” Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior ICE official, told Newsweek. “To add these fees, while Congress is debating giving ICE billions of dollars more for enforcement against people who have been working in the U.S. for decades and may even have relief available, makes no sense and continues to criminalize and bankrupt our neighbors.”

The Trump administration argues in the proposal that the higher fee could:

• Deter people from skipping court hearings
• Encourage compliance with removal orders
• Reduce strain on enforcement resources

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The new fine would apply to immigrants who are given a Notice to Appear (NTA) in immigration court, which automatically places them in removal proceedings, and who fail to appear at that hearing.

If an immigration judge finds that an immigrant can be deported in absentia, ICE has to track down, detain and deport that person, fining them $5,130 in the process.

DHS said the amount is insufficient to cover deportation costs and that it plans to raise the fine to $18,000, following new rules laid out in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

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Immigrants may have a variety of options for paying the fine, including paying it outright, paying it through a payment plan, or paying it as part of fees if they decide to return to the U.S. through a new application at a later date.

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The number of missed immigration hearings—a key driver behind the policy—has surged in recent years. In 2022, there were around 62,500 in absentia removal orders—rising to about 309,700 in 2025, according to the Federal Register filing.

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The proposal opens for a 30-day public comment period on May 20, after which DHS will decide whether to finalize the rule. Any new fine would apply only to future cases, not past deportation orders.

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