Judge Halts Trump Administration Deportation Fines

Clear Facts

• U.S. District Judge George O’Toole blocked the Trump administration’s fines of up to $1.8 million for migrants who ignored final deportation orders.
• The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit filed by migrants who claimed the fines violated federal law and threatened their finances.
• DHS has issued over 103,000 fines totaling $84 billion since President Trump returned to office in January 2025.

A federal judge in Boston has stopped the Trump administration from imposing large civil fines on migrants who refuse to leave the country after receiving final deportation orders.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole issued the preliminary ruling Monday after reviewing a class-action lawsuit brought by two migrants facing these penalties.

The judge determined that the process for levying fines violated federal law and could push some migrants into financial ruin.

“The plaintiffs live in an economically precarious position even without the imposition of the government’s exorbitant fines,” O’Toole wrote in his order.

“They face the possible garnishment of their already modest wages, loss of any vehicles and homes, federal collections lawsuits and other adverse collateral consequences,” the judge added.

“If they were ultimately successful in this suit, there is no indication that simply requiring the government to vacate their fine notices would –– or even could, at that point –– make the plaintiffs whole or return the circumstances to the status quo.”

Judge O’Toole noted that the plaintiffs held low-paying jobs and had entered the United States to escape political violence in their home countries.

“Nancy M. was fined over $1.8 million,” O’Toole wrote, describing one plaintiff.

“She is a laborer working over 60 hours a week with two jobs, and she reports feeling serious anxiety affecting her ability to sleep, eat and live a normal life.”

The court also found that the fine notices failed to provide specific reasons why each individual’s conduct justified the penalty, violating the Administrative Procedure Act.

DHS had argued that the fines were authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

The agency has defended the penalties, stating that individuals who refuse to leave after receiving a final removal order can face fines of $998 per day.

The Trump administration began enforcing these fines last year, applying them retroactively for up to five years and capping them at $1.8 million.

In July 2025, DHS and the Department of Justice shortened the notice period and streamlined the process for challenging fines, changes that the plaintiffs successfully contested.

Judge O’Toole ruled that the administration failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures by not allowing public comment before implementing these changes.

Democratic senators have urged DHS and DOJ to pause the penalties, claiming they improperly target law-abiding immigrants.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.