Trump Admin Announces $5,000 Fee for Anyone Caught Crossing Illegally, Including Asylum Seekers

The Trump administration has introduced a new $5,000 "apprehension fee" for migrants caught crossing the U.S. border between official ports of entry, adding a financial penalty that applies even to those seeking asylum.

According to reporting by Visa Verge, the fine is part of a broad enforcement package that supporters within the administration refer to as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which includes higher fees, expanded enforcement authority, and long-term border security funding.

The site, which specializes in immigration laws and visa procedures, said the fee is imposed in addition to existing criminal and immigration penalties and may be collected "from migrants in custody, after deportation, or if they later qualify for legal status." The outlet noted that critics argue the fee could create "a lifelong debt" for people fleeing danger who already lack resources.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced the penalty publicly on X on Thursday, saying that the message "applies to all illegal aliens — regardless of where they entered, how long they've been in the US, their current location, or any ongoing immigration proceedings."

The administration said the cost reflects what it calls the "true cost" of apprehension and processing. Visa Verge noted that this represents a departure from past policy, in which asylum seekers were recognized as having a protected right to request humanitarian protection even if they crossed the border illegally.

Arrests along the southwest border have fallen to the lowest monthly levels since the 1960s, with about 7,300 arrests reported in November, as Bloomberg reports.

The apprehension fee aligns with other recent penalties under Trump's mass-deportation agenda. Bloomberg said DHS has begun issuing fines of nearly $1,000 per day for individuals who have been ordered removed but remain in the country, alongside a self-deportation incentive program offering $1,000 to those who exit voluntarily through an app.

Immigration attorney David Leopold told the outlet that the fee "raises some serious legal questions and kind of violates people's rights," calling it "one more coercive tactic" likely to face court challenges.