DHS fines illegal immigrants are at the center of a renewed enforcement push. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital that it issued roughly 103,000 civil fines totaling about $84 billion (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026) and that it has collected around $1.2 billion in payments (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). Below: a plain-language analysis of those figures, how the program is said to operate, the CBP Home app for voluntary departure, and the limits on independent verification.
DHS fines illegal immigrants: the numbers
The headline figures, as provided by DHS to Fox News Digital, are:
103,000 civil fines issued (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026); ~$84 billion in total assessed penalties (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026); and ~$1.2 billion collected (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026).
The department also reported enforcement tallies it attributes to internal operations: nearly 900,000 people deported and more than 900,000 arrested as of May 17, 2026 (DHS to Fox News Digital, May 17, 2026), and an estimate that about 2.2 million people voluntarily left (“self-deported”) during the administration’s first year (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). These numbers are presented here explicitly as the agency’s account to Fox News Digital.
How the fines work and enforcement rules
DHS says the fines are assessed at a rate of $998 per day for noncitizens who are subject to final removal orders and fail to leave voluntarily (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). The department has stated that fines generally must be paid before physical deportation and that it may pursue asset seizure or other collection measures for unpaid amounts (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026).
That $998-per-day rate scales rapidly. For example, a person who accrues fines at that rate faces roughly $29,940 after 30 days of noncompliance and roughly $363,270 after a year. DHS frames the approach as a deterrent and an administrative alternative it says is less expensive than full removal proceedings, an argument the agency has advanced in comparing program costs (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026).
Self-deportation and the CBP Home app
The CBP Home app is a core tool in the voluntary-departure effort. DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) circulated materials describing features for those who opt to depart using the app: the ability to pick a departure flight, potentially keep earnings earned while in the U.S., maintain some future eligibility for immigration benefits, and access subsidized travel for those unable to afford a ticket (DHS/CBP flyer cited to Fox News Digital, July 2026).
DHS presents the app as a faster, lower-cost path for people to leave on their own terms rather than facing court-based removals. The department told Fox News Digital it estimated about 2.2 million people self-deported during the administration’s first year (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026); that figure is the agency’s internal estimate, not an independently audited total.
Claims, limits and independent verification
Important: the large dollar sums and counts above come from DHS statements reported by Fox News Digital. Independent verification of the $84 billion total, the 103,000 fines figure, the $1.2 billion collected, and the 2.2 million self-deportation estimate was not provided in the Fox News piece. Where DHS claims a cost advantage to fines over traditional removal, that cost comparison is an agency assertion and should be treated as unverified unless an independent audit or public accounting is published.
Administrative tallies can be sensitive to timing, methodology and internal definitions (for example, how “self-deported” is counted). Public agencies sometimes revise or clarify counts after further review; readers should expect possible updates. Legal challenges or records requests could produce additional documentation that independently substantiates or contradicts DHS’s accounting.
What comes next for migrants and enforcement
Short-term steps to watch: continued promotion of the CBP Home app; expanded collection activity targeting outstanding fines; implementation guidance on asset seizure; and any court rulings or injunctions that affect the fines or payment-before-deportation policy. If DHS continues to prioritize voluntary departures, some resources may be reallocated away from longer, court-based removal processes.
Practically, people with final removal orders face three broad scenarios: use the CBP Home app to coordinate a voluntary departure; attempt to resolve orders with legal counsel or through the immigration courts; or be subject to enforced removal with potential collection on outstanding fines or seizure of assets (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). Advocates, attorneys and oversight bodies are likely to scrutinize how collections and seizure policies are carried out in individual cases.
Example: how penalties can affect an individual
Consider a hypothetical noncitizen with a final removal order who does not voluntarily leave and accrues fines at $998 per day (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). After 30 days: ~ $30,000 in fines. After 90 days: ~ $90,000. After one year: ~ $363,000. Because DHS has said fines generally must be paid before deportation, such liabilities could complicate or delay enforced removal absent seizure or other collection steps.
FAQ
Who must pay DHS fines? DHS indicates fines are assessed on noncitizens with final removal orders who do not leave voluntarily (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). Legal specifics may vary by case and can be subject to litigation.
How much are the fines and how are they calculated? The publicized rate is $998 per day of noncompliance; DHS has stated that rate and applies it from the date a person is subject to a final removal order (DHS to Fox News Digital, July 2026). How days are counted or whether exceptions apply is determined by agency policy and potentially by courts.
Can migrants use the CBP Home app to self-deport and keep earnings? DHS and CBP materials cited to Fox News Digital describe program features claiming people can keep earnings and may access subsidized travel if they use the CBP Home app to arrange voluntary departure (DHS/CBP flyer cited to Fox News Digital, July 2026). Those program promises come from agency materials and have not been independently audited in the coverage cited.
Sources and attribution
This article is based on statements attributed to the Department of Homeland Security and reporting by Fox News Digital. Key figures are explicitly attributed in the text to DHS as reported by Fox News Digital (dates listed inline). Readers should treat agency totals and program-cost claims as the department’s account unless or until independently verified.
Primary sources:
- Fox News — “DHS issues $84B in fines to illegal immigrants under Trump administration” (reporting on DHS statements to Fox News Digital, July 2026).
- Department of Homeland Security — News and Press Releases (DHS official site; consult specific DHS statements or press releases for agency-issued documentation).
What to watch next: look for DHS updates, official press releases with underlying accounting, congressional oversight letters, or independent audits that could confirm or revise the tallies reported here.
