A United States federal judge blocked the procedure used by President Donald Trump’s Administration to impose fines of up to $998 a day on immigrants who remain in the country despite orders to leave, sanctions that in some cases have accumulated debts of up to $1.8 million.
District Judge George O’Toole Jr., of Boston, ordered to suspend the application of the federal regulations that regulate these fines and the sanctions issued under that procedure after July 27, 2025, while the litigation continues.
“This means that the Government cannot enforce these fines while the case continues,” the Legal Aid Society, which represents the plaintiffs along with other legal services groups, said in a statement.
O’Toole considered that the plaintiffs are likely to demonstrate that the regulations used to impose the sanctions are illegal.
Among other reasons, the judge questioned that the Government had not adequately assessed the individual circumstances of those affected and concluded that the collection of fines could lead the plaintiffs to insolvency.
Up to 1.8 million debt
The lawsuit, filed in November 2025, challenges a policy that, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has affected more than 100,000 people nationwide and generated fines worth approximately $84 billion since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.
Penalties can reach $998 for each day of failure to comply with a departure or removal order and, in some cases, have accumulated hundreds of debts up to $1.8 million.
According to the Legal Aid Society, the fines have been imposed on people who legally request some type of immigration relief, such as adjustment of status, who comply with supervision orders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or who claim to be unable to safely return to their countries of origin.
The plaintiffs, Maria L. of Massachusetts and Nancy M. of Florida, faced penalties of hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to $1.8 million, respectively, despite maintaining contact with immigration authorities and following available legal procedures.
“Both plaintiffs have remained in the country to request immigration relief that allows them to obtain legal status,” the organization said in its statement.
One of them, he added, later obtained an immigrant visa and was admitted as a legal permanent resident.
In early 2025, the Trump Administration resumed the application of a provision of immigration law that allows civil fines to be imposed on certain immigrants who do not leave the United States after receiving a removal order or a voluntary departure order.
In June 2025, DHS and the Department of Justice further modified the procedure for imposing and appealing these sanctions, among other changes, by eliminating the requirement to previously issue a notice of intent to fine and reducing the deadline for appealing sanctions.
“This ruling represents a crucial victory for immigrant families who were unlawfully threatened with financial ruin,” Legal Aid said.
