An immigrant mother claims to live under constant uncertainty since Marchwhen he received a notification that, according to him, completely changed his daily life, since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), notified you of a debt greater than million dollars linked to an ancient deportation order.
Since then, he states that he has gone to work without certainty of returning home and with concern for his assets and the future of his two children, who are currently studying.
“What worries me are my children. I have two of them, right, both of them who are studying and they don’t have a job that says, good ample, that they can work full time”he told Univision anonymously.
Origin of the immigration case in 2008
According to his testimony, the case dates back to 2008, when he sought regularize your immigration status in the United States with the intention of remaining fit.
“Well, come on, right, according to one with the illusion that one was fixing one’s papers,” he recalled.
The woman says that received apt assistance in Los Angeles and obtained a work permit for one year. Subsequently, his process was brought before a court in San Francisco, where a judge denied his asylum request.
He also notes that he received a voluntary departurea mechanism that allows you to leave the country within a certain period to avoid a formal deportation. However, he affirms that he did not leave the country and that, over time, his situation led to a deportation order.
“So we didn’t go out anymore and time passed,” he said, lamenting his current situation.
For years she did not receive new notifications about her file, until last March, when she claims to have been informed again about the immigration order. Days later, he received another letter: one debt that exceeded one million dollars.
“You have 15 days to appeal. I mean, I stayed… I mean, well, what am I going to appeal? I mean, it’s impossible to pay this money,” said the woman who preferred to remain anonymous.
Immigration fines and their growth under federal law
Specialists explain that this type of amounts can be derived from scivil penalties provided for in US immigration legislation for failing to comply with exit orders.
In June 2025, the Department of Homeland Security reported that it could impose fines of up to $998 dollars per day to people with final deportation orders who did not leave the country within the established period. Under that scheme, sanctions can accumulate quickly.
For example, a daily fine of $998 dollars is equivalent to $364,270 dollars in one year. If maintained for five years, the amount can exceed $1.8 million dollars.
On June 9, 2025, DHS reported the issuance of more than 9,000 notifications of intention to fine for almost $3,000 million dollars. Weeks later, the figure rose to nearly 10,000 notices, which can be challenged or reviewed before becoming final.
Family decisions and financial risks
Given the situation, the woman states that He transferred his home to his daughter’s name. However, he later received another notification stating that the debt had been sent to collection agencies.
“And I know that the day I go to work… I say, God be to God, I’m leaving and I don’t know if I’ll come back,” he counted.
The immigration lawyer Bethania Maria He pointed out to the Hispanic network that these types of movements on assets do not always guarantee the protection of family assets.
He warned that collection companies can track these types of transfers and that, if carried out hastily, a judge could reverse them and determine that the assets still belong to the person.
Likewise, he explained that debt recovery processes can lead to financial consequences such as damage to credit history, seizures, liens or the withholding of tax refunds, depending on each case.
Immigration debt and deportation order: different processes
The specialist also clarified that paying a fine does not automatically eliminate a deportation order.
“He who pays the debt does not eliminate deportation”he stated.
This means that the financial and immigration processes operate independently, so a person may remain subject to removal from the country even if the debt is paid.
Possible legal avenues and recommendations
According to the lawyer, there could still be legal options depending on the history of each case. Among them, the reopening of the file if the person qualifies for some type of immigration relief, such as visas for crimes (U visa), procedural errors or relevant family changes.
Another alternative would be to leave the country and request an immigration waiver from abroad, generally based on the possible harm to citizen or resident family members.
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