A Cuban migrant residing in Phoenix, Arizona received a letter from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, March 23, notifying him of a fine of almost two million dollars for failing to leave the U.S. after a deportation order was issued in 2010.
The fine - which amounts to $1,800,000- has grown year after year for more than fifteen years, accumulating under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which allows the government to impose daily fines on undocumented individuals who ignore deportation orders.
The Cuban -identified by Telemundo as "Mario" to protect his identity- has been living in Phoenix for over 20 years, and the notification has plunged him into a deep emotional crisis.
"I can't sleep, I can't eat, thinking," declared the migrant while describing how his days have been since he received the letter.
The man rejects the legitimacy of the debt and does not hide his indignation.
"1,800,000 dollars that I didn't even know about", he stated, emphasizing that he feels it is "unfair."
Mario assures that in 2010 he was not notified of any deportation order because he had been in custody in a state prison since 2007 for a crime unrelated to his immigration case.
Public court records confirm his story. He was released in 2012 and has not received any notification since then.
"I don't understand why, if they had plenty of time to let me know, why now?", questioned the Cuban, visibly puzzled by the situation.
The emotional impact of the notification has been devastating for "Mario."
"I feel like I'm going to get sick because I can't handle this psychologically. It's something stressful", he expressed; and he says he is looking for a lawyer to represent him.
The immigration lawyer Leandro Ferrer—who is not connected to the case—explained to the mentioned media outlet that it is possible that Mario missed an immigration hearing while he was detained.
"If in the criminal process where he is detained he is not brought before immigration court, the immigration court can then issue a deportation order in the absence of the respondent," Ferrer pointed out.
However, the lawyer opened up a possible legal avenue.
"If he didn't know, he might have a chance to reopen the case," he indicated.
Ferrer warned, however, that even if the Cuban voluntarily self-deported, the accumulated million-dollar fine would remain in effect.
"Mario" has 15 days to appeal the sanction.
Telemundo reached out to ICE to learn about the allegations behind the deportation decision, but did not receive a response.
Increasing immigration fines
The case is framed within an aggressive immigration policy of the Trump administration, which reactivated in 2025 the use of cumulative civil fines of up to $998 per day against individuals with pending deportation orders.
Since June 2025, ICE has issued at least 10,000 penalty notifications under this policy.
The government also offers a voluntary self-deportation program through the CBP Home app, which includes total forgiveness of fines, a free flight, and a $1,000 bonus, although this benefit would not apply to the debt already incurred in Mario's case.
This is not the first Cuban to face a similar situation: in July 2025, the case of another compatriot fined $690,000 was documented; and in August 2025, that of a Cuban from Campechuela, Granma, penalized with $534,928 for not attending a hearing in Orlando.
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