Overview
- Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said the charge applies to those determined to have entered without inspection and deemed inadmissible at arrest.
- Officials said the penalty applies regardless of how long a person has been in the United States or whether immigration proceedings are pending.
- DHS said the fee has been in effect since September and that unpaid amounts become a government debt that can block future lawful reentry.
- CBP Air and Marine Operations issued a deterrence warning against sea crossings, and wall construction has resumed in the Rio Grande Valley sector.
- Lawmakers introduced a bill to exempt minors from the fee, and advocates signaled forthcoming legal challenges to the policy.