Trump Revives WWII-Era Laws

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The Trump administration has unleashed an unprecedented weapon against illegal immigrants by collecting $6 billion in fines from those who refused deportation orders.

Story Highlights

DHS collaborates with IRS to collect billions in fines from immigrants who ignored deportation orders
Federal court allows unprecedented data-sharing agreement between ICE and IRS to proceed
Trump administration revives WWII-era registration laws requiring non-citizens to carry proof of status
Advocacy groups fail to block enforcement, leaving thousands of immigrants vulnerable to prosecution

Aggressive Collection Strategy Targets Non-Compliant Immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security has imposed $6 billion in fines on immigrants who failed to comply with self-deportation orders, marking a dramatic escalation in enforcement tactics. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explicitly designed the registration rule to incentivize “self-deportation” while threatening criminal prosecution for non-compliance. This approach leverages financial penalties as a deterrent, creating substantial consequences for immigrants who ignore final removal orders. The strategy represents a significant departure from traditional enforcement methods that relied primarily on physical apprehension and detention.

Trump admin fines illegal migrants $6.1B for refusing deportation orders: report https://t.co/Gt6k5Czwn2 pic.twitter.com/vStSunGSBm

— New York Post (@nypost) August 28, 2025

Historic IRS-ICE Data Sharing Agreement Becomes Operational

Federal courts approved the first formal IRS-ICE data sharing agreement in May 2025, allowing immigration enforcement to access previously protected taxpayer information. This collaboration breaks decades of taxpayer confidentiality protections established after Nixon-era abuses, giving ICE unprecedented access to locate immigrants through tax records. The agreement enables authorities to identify, track, and prosecute individuals with alleged tax debts while facilitating mass deportation efforts. Multiple advocacy organizations challenged this arrangement in court but failed to secure injunctions blocking its implementation.

Watch: ‘Leave now…’: DHS fines immigrants who did not self-deport $6 billion | US immigration crackdown

WWII-Era Registration Laws Revived for Modern Enforcement

The Trump administration reactivated dormant registration requirements from the 1940s, mandating that non-citizens register with authorities and carry proof of registration at all times. Executive Order 14161, issued on January 20, 2025, directed all federal agencies to maximize identification and removal of unlawfully present individuals. This sweeping directive delegated enforcement authority to agencies traditionally uninvolved in immigration matters, including the Internal Revenue Service. The order established the legal framework for pursuing up to one million deportations annually through coordinated inter-agency cooperation.

Legal Challenges Face Setbacks Despite Constitutional Concerns

The American Immigration Council, ACLU, and other advocacy groups filed multiple lawsuits challenging the data-sharing agreements and registration requirements on constitutional grounds. Judge Dabney L. Friedrich declined to block IRS data sharing on March 20, 2025, dealing a significant blow to privacy advocates. Despite ongoing litigation, enforcement operations continue while courts evaluate the broader constitutional implications of using tax data for immigration control. Immigration communities face heightened anxiety as authorities leverage previously confidential information to facilitate deportations, potentially undermining tax compliance and public revenue collection.