The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has finalized a rule governing civil penalties for immigration violations, days after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s earlier system for imposing the fines, Bloomberg Law reported on October 9, 2026.
The development comes amid a legal battle over the government’s use of steep financial penalties against immigrants who fail to leave the United States after receiving removal orders. The judge found that the government’s approach likely conflicted with federal immigration law and that the agencies had failed to follow required procedures when introducing changes to the penalty system. The change addresses one aspect of the process for challenging penalties, although the broader legal dispute over the administration’s enforcement system remains important. However, the policy has faced legal challenges from immigrants and advocacy organizations. The plaintiffs argued that the government’s procedures failed to provide adequate safeguards and did not properly account for individual circumstances.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in July that it had issued more than 103,000 fines worth a combined $84 billion.
The newly finalized rule makes one significant adjustment: it permits late-filed appeals in cases involving mail-delivery delays, according to Bloomberg Law report.
The final rule retains the administration’s framework for civil immigration penalties but makes a significant change to the appeals process, allowing certain late appeals when delays in mail delivery prevent people from responding on time, according to Bloomberg Law.
