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The second administration of Donald Trump has shifted from warnings to widespread enforcement. The head of the Border Patrol, Michael Banks, announced that nearly all detained immigrants for illegal entry will be required to pay a fine of $5,000, while the government promotes a “self-deportation” campaign offering free flights and $1,000 in cash to those who agree to leave the United States voluntarily.
The message tightens and specifies measures that have been in the works since October, when the United States Embassy in Mexico warned that a fine of $5,000 would be imposed on anyone crossing the southern border illegally, applicable to individuals over 14 years old caught entering without documents, regardless of their nationality, as noted in a previous article about the new border fine.
How the $5,000 fine will work
According to Banks, the so-called “apprehension fee” of $5,000 will apply to virtually all immigrants aged 14 and older who have entered without inspection, regardless of where they crossed, how long they have been in the country, or whether they have ongoing immigration processes.
This rate is part of the legislative package approved in July 2025, popularly known as the "big, beautiful bill," which restructures the system of immigration fees and allocates tens of billions of dollars to detentions, deportations, and border enforcement, as analyzed by CiberCuba when explaining how Trump's new law would finance mass detentions.
The United States Embassy had indicated that the sanction would be applied "at the time of arrest" and that its value could be increased at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in line with a "zero tolerance" policy that combines economic sanctions, rapid deportations, and criminal penalties for repeat offenders.
Fines of $998 per day: the other pillar of punishment
At the same time, the government is activating a legal provision that allows for civil fines of up to $998 per day to be imposed on individuals with a final deportation order who do not leave the country, with the possibility of applying the charges retroactively for up to five years, which could result in potential debts of up to $1.8 million per person.
This logic of extreme economic punishment has already severely impacted the Cuban community: CiberCuba has documented cases of a Cuban who received a fine notification of $690,000 and another who faces a sanction exceeding $530,000 for failing to leave the United States after a deportation order.
In practice, these charges turn irregular migration into a kind of financial trap: those who choose to stay risk not only forced deportation but also accumulating an unpayable debt and the potential confiscation of their assets, affecting both individuals with limited resources and families who have managed to buy homes or start small businesses in the United States.
The "offer" of $1,000 for voluntary repatriation
The other component of the strategy is the self-deportation campaign: DHS launched a "Cyber Monday" style advertisement offering free flights to the home country and a $1,000 bonus for any undocumented immigrant who agrees to self-deport using the CBP Home app.
According to the Trump administration, this formula reduces arrest, detention, and deportation costs by more than 70%, which are estimated to exceed $17,000 per person, and would allow for the "clearing" of fines and civil penalties to keep the option of re-entering legally in the future open.
However, immigration lawyers have warned that accepting this offer may result in penalties of 5, 10, or 20 years without the ability to return, or even a permanent ban on reentry, and that each case should be analyzed with legal counsel, as explained in the report about the Cuban who rejected Trump’s $1,000 to self-deport and in the explanation of when and how those promised $1,000 will be paid.
For many Cubans, the dilemma is brutal: accepting self-deportation can mean losing the chance to benefit from the Cuban Adjustment Act or other pathways to regularization, while staying puts them at risk of raids, daily fines that are almost impossible to pay, and the constant threat of deportation.
From the experiment to the "second phase" of the offensive
The novelty of the new Fox report is that it is no longer just about scattered laws and announcements: the head of the Border Patrol is announcing the almost universal enforcement of the $5,000 fee, and the government is presenting the self-deportation campaign as a central policy, supported by data on its effectiveness at the border.
The administration estimates that fiscal year 2025 ended with approximately 237,565 apprehensions at the Mexico border, the lowest figure since 1970, and is on track to record around 600,000 deportations in the first year of Trump’s return to the White House, while more than two million people are believed to have already left the country through deportations and voluntary departures, as highlighted by official reports and analyses from U.S. media.
These numbers align with what CiberCuba has already reported about the decline in irregular crossings and the closure of the border: illegal crossings at the southern border have reached their lowest level since 1970, with around 238,000 encounters in the fiscal year, according to a previous report on the historic decline of migration crossings.
What does it mean for Cubans in the United States?
For Cubans, the new scenario combines three pressures: a $5,000 fine for those who cross or have crossed without documents, the very real risk of enormous daily fines for those with final deportation orders, and the tempting but dangerous offer of $1,000 to leave right now in exchange for potentially closing the door on a future return.
CiberCuba's coverage has already highlighted the human impact of this offensive: Cubans receiving notifications with amounts exceeding half a million dollars, others announcing their decision to choose self-deportation, and young individuals refusing the $1,000, stating they will stay "until the end," as was the case of the Cuban who announced her decision to self-deport and in the story of the Cuban who rejected Trump's money.
In cities with a strong migrant presence, such as New Orleans and various areas of South Florida, there are already noticeable empty streets, businesses experiencing fewer customers, and a community living in fear of ICE raids, government letters, and the conflicting messages coming through social media.
Between fear and resistance
The current phase of Trump's immigration policy combines two messages aimed at both the American public and the migrants themselves: on one hand, the promise of a "historically secure" border and record deportation numbers; on the other, the threat of financial ruin and the offer of an "orderly" exit for those who agree to self-deport.
For thousands of Cubans, the decision has become existential: to continue fighting for regularization despite fines and a climate of persecution, or to accept a ticket back and 1,000 dollars that could mark the end of their life project in the United States. The battle is no longer only fought at the border or in the courts, but also in the minds of every migrant who receives a letter, a notification on their phone, or a viral video that reminds them that now, in addition, they may receive a bill for thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars for staying.
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