The Donald Trump administration is taking its immigration crackdown beyond US borders, hiring private contractors to track down migrants who have already been deported and recover what the government says is $423 million in unpaid fines and fees.
The overseas effort, however, raises questions about how the US can enforce debts against people who are no longer in the country. The procurement documents do not explain how the government could compel payment from deportees living abroad . At the same time, the administration is offering incentives to migrants who leave voluntarily through the CBP Home app, including paid travel and cash payments in some cases.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the money is owed by more than 66,300 people who have been removed from the United States, according to government procurement records cited by Bloomberg . CBP awarded two-year contracts to Global Recovery Group, The Baptiste Group, Caduceus Inc. and Response AI Solutions, with each agreement carrying a maximum value of $9 million, according to the report. The penalties are based in part on a provision of the 1996 immigration law that allows the government to impose daily fines on certain people who refuse to leave the US after being ordered to depart. From Trump’s return to office on January 20, 2025, through July 16, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued more than 103,000 civil fines totaling more than $84 billion, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The government had collected only about $1.2 million by July 16.
Homeland Security has also said certain outstanding fines may be forgiven.
