Trump Administration To Charge $5,000 ‘Apprehension Fee’ On Migrants

Said Border Czar T Spritzenheimer, "Once we deport them to their point of origin, they'll have the opportunity to get on a payment plan. Most people will need between 5 and 10 years to pay the fine".

Trump Administration To Charge $5,000 ‘Apprehension Fee’ On Migrants

Published

Dec 06, 2025 at 01:09 PM EST

By Billal Rahman, Newsweek

The Trump administration is slapping a $5,000 "apprehension fee" on migrants without legal status, a top Border Patrol official announced.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said the charge will apply to people apprehended after crossing the border between ports of entry, expanding the financial penalties tied to unauthorized entry.

The fee, he said, will be imposed on individuals age 14 and older who are taken into custody after entering the United States unlawfully. The fee stems from provisions contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which was passed by the GOP-controlled Congress earlier this year.

"This message applies to all illegal aliens—regardless of where they entered, how long they’ve been in the U.S., their current location, or any ongoing immigration proceedings," Banks wrote in a post on X.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a series of new charges and increases to existing immigration-related fees as part of a major policy overhaul.

The changes, enacted under recent legislation and now being implemented by authorities, mark one of the most significant shifts in the financial penalties tied to immigration enforcement in years and have prompted questions about how the policies will affect migrants, particularly minors and others with limited means to pay.

The OBBBA sets the initial amount at a minimum of $5,000 for fiscal year 2025 and gives the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to adjust the fee over time in line with inflation.

The bill is a legislative package that includes new enforcement authorities and penalties related to immigration. Among its provisions, the law increases certain application and processing fees and provides additional funding for ICE and tools for border and interior enforcement.

The bill implements new fees for certain humanitarian protections, including a minimum $100 non-waivable fee for asylum applications, plus an additional $100 for each year the application remains pending. It also implements a minimum $250 fee for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a form of humanitarian relief for children who have been abused or neglected by one or both parents.

Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation on Tuesday aimed at reversing certain provisions of the OBBBA that affect immigrant minors. Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL) proposed legislation intended to roll back measures that advocates say could negatively impact the safety and legal rights of unaccompanied children seeking refuge in the United States.

The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act would exempt minors from the new $5,000 border apprehension fee, as well as fees for asylum applications, annual maintenance, and immigration court proceedings. By October, teenagers in multiple states began receiving notices related to the fee, according to The Intercept.

“The Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act would help ensure continued access to a fair and humane path to protection for children who have already endured violence, exploitation, and trafficking,” KIND (Kids in Need of Defence) President Wendy Young said in a statement shared with Newsweek.

"The OBBBA levies unprecedented and onerous fees that will impede and even block many children’s pursuit of life-saving humanitarian protection in the United States and make children more vulnerable to traffickers and other bad actors who will exploit these fees to prey on impacted children."

Illegal crossings at the southern border have plummeted under President Donald Trump's hardline approach. DHS said in a press release that nationwide border encounters in November totaled 30,367, slightly below October’s 30,573, marking what the agency said was the lowest start to a fiscal year on record. Combined encounters for October and November reached 60,940, lower than any previous fiscal year to date, and 28 percent below the prior low of 84,293 in fiscal year 2012, the agency said.

DHS told Newsweek that the agency has conducted more than 600,000 deportations during the president’s first year back in office. The agency says more than two million people without legal status have left the United States during that period, including about 1.9 million who departed voluntarily and roughly 593,000 deported through enforcement actions. DHS also said approximately 579,000 arrests of people without legal status have occurred since January 20.

What People Are Saying

The National Immigration Law Center said: "OBBBA weaponizes this fees system, slapping exorbitant fees on humanitarian protection and immigration processing forms that will be unaffordable for many. Some of these fees are entirely new; others mark a dramatic increase from current levels. The fees are listed as minimums, meaning DHS and the immigration courts may charge much more than what is listed. Worse, the law eliminates waivers for many of these fees, meaning many will be mandatory even for people with dire humanitarian circumstances such as a life-threatening illness."

Senator Cortez Masto said in a press release: "As members of Congress, it’s our duty to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. That includes the unaccompanied children who come to the United States after escaping trafficking and abuse. It’s essential that we reverse the Republican tax law’s cruel provisions and protect these kids."

"Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the 7th straight month of zero releases. Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes," Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a press release: "These numbers reflect the tireless efforts of our agents and officers who are delivering results that redefine border security. We’re not slowing down. We’re setting the pace for the future."