A federal judge from the Southern District of Florida issued a judgment of $668,390.95 this Wednesday against a Honduran national identified as K.E.V.D., who remained in the United States for over three years after an immigration court ordered her to leave the country, according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The federal judge Ed Artau, of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, issued the default judgment —that is, without the affected party appearing to defend themselves— in case no. 26-cv-80141.
The original deportation order was issued by an immigration judge on July 22, 2022, and became final on August 23 of that year. Despite receiving a Notice of Intent to Fine and a collection bill, K.E.V.D. did not leave the country nor responded to the federal lawsuit.
The total amount represents the balance of a civil fine of 998 dollars per day for voluntary non-compliance, plus legal interests calculated up to February 6, 2026. Judge Artau concluded that the affected party had "voluntarily" violated the immigration court order.
Este caso es una señal de alerta para quienes tienen órdenes de deportación pendientes. Sigue todas las novedades sobre deportaciones, I-220A y procesos migratorios en nuestra sección de
"The orders of immigration courts are not optional," stated federal prosecutor Jason A. Reding Quiñones. "This judgment of 668,390.95 dollars reflects the serious consequences that can follow when a final deportation order is willfully ignored."
What distinguishes this case from previous administrative fines is its enforceable nature: by becoming a federal judgment, the Department of Justice can resort to enforcement mechanisms such as wage garnishment, liens on property, and withholding of tax refunds.
Why this matters to Cubans with I-220A
Thousands of Cubans in South Florida have final orders of deportation and remain in the U.S. under supervision orders because Cuba has historically accepted very few deportees.
Although since February 2026 the regime began receiving repatriation flights —including one with 170 Cubans in February— the execution remains limited.
More than 42,000 Cubans had active final deportation orders in the U.S., and between October 2025 and June 2026, immigration courts issued over 4,000 new orders against Cubans solely in Florida.
The law—specifically section 274D of the Immigration and Nationality Act—imposes penalties for failing to leave voluntarily or for obstructing departure, not merely for remaining in the country when deportation is physically impossible.
But the line between both situations requires individualized legal analysis, and the case of K.E.V.D. illustrates the risk of ignoring both the fine notification and the federal lawsuit.
The I-220A form is a supervised release order from ICE: it is not equivalent to a residency permit, does not grant permanent immigration status, and does not prevent new arrests or deportation.
What to do if you receive a fine notification
The default judgment was issued precisely because K.E.V.D. did not respond to the lawsuit. Ignoring a Notice of Intent to Fine may result in an enforceable judicial debt.
Previous cases show that it is possible to challenge these fines: a woman in Houston managed to annul a sanction of $1,820,352 by demonstrating that she had an active U visa application since 2021.
It is worth noting that the judicial halt in Massachusetts to the expedited fines rule —suspended on September 30 by Judge George A. O'Toole Jr.— does not provide protection against this type of procedure: the judge himself clarified that the government can continue to impose sanctions through the mechanisms established prior to that regulation, which is exactly what happened in Florida.
Additionally, ICE recently enabled the option to appeal certain immigration fines that are past due when the delay was due to documented postal delays.
Immigration experts recommend not ignoring any notifications and seeking legal advice immediately to understand the available options, which may include reopening the immigration case—generally within 90 days of the final order—or requesting a stay of deportation before the penalties continue to accumulate.
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