Border Patrol chief announces $5,000 fee for detained illegal immigrants

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced that nearly all illegal immigrants detained will be charged a $5,000 “apprehension fee.”

In a post on X on Thursday, Banks said illegal immigrants ages 14 and older who entered the country without inspection will face a fee, a provision included in the “big, beautiful bill,” which President Donald Trump signed into law in July.

“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.

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The warning came after a lawsuit was filed Thursday against the federal government on behalf of 21,500 immigrants facing daily penalties of $998, reaching up to $1.8 million each for staying in the U.S. illegally. 

Their lawyers argued they were attempting to comply with federal immigration laws.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in October that migrants paroled in the U.S. would also face a $1,000 fee “to institute accountability and prevent rampant fraud of the parole system.”

DHS this week launched a “holiday deal of a lifetime,” offering illegal immigrants a “Cyber Monday” incentive to self-deport.

All illegal immigrants in the country could receive a free flight home and a $1,000 bonus for voluntarily leaving the country. The average cost to arrest, detain and deport someone is $17,000, according to DHS.

People in the U.S. illegally may also qualify for forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties incurred for failing to depart, DHS said, allowing the possibility for them to return legally.

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The Trump administration previously announced it closed out fiscal year 2025 with 237,565 Border Patrol apprehensions, the fewest since 1970.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in October that the administration was “on pace to shatter historic records” by tallying 600,000 deportations by the end of Trump’s first year back in office. 

More than two million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. this year, she said, including 1.6 million who self-deported, 515,000 deportations and another 485,000 were arrested.

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Trump deployed additional personnel to the southern border after taking office and ended “catch-and-release,” the practice of releasing illegal immigrants as they wait for hearings.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo, Bonny Chu and Landon Mion contributed to this report.