The Trump administration has unveiled a new policy that makes it mandatory for all illegal aliens 14 years and older to register with the federal government. The program makes them submit biometric data, including fingerprints, and give personal information such as home addresses and work status. They will also be required to carry registration cards wherever they go to show compliance. It could result in fines of up to $5,000 or up to six months in jail, Homeland Security officials added.
The policy would simplify the process of identifying and deporting illegal immigrants, as part of the overall strategy of the administration to speed up mass deportations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the program, which asserted that the registry would allow immigrants to avoid criminal charges and aid them in repatriation back to their native lands, with them being legally readmitted in the future. Opponents contend that the policy has more to do with leveraging the registry as a tool for surveillance and targeting of immigrants towards deportation than actually allowing them legal status.
Immigrant rights groups and civil liberties organizations have major concerns about violations of privacy and the potential for racial profiling under the new registry. The National Immigration Law Center has called the policy a "thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and marginalize immigrant communities." Many worry that the registry would discourage illegal immigrants from entering for medical treatment, reporting crime, or engaging in their communities for fear of being held. Legal experts also warn that the policy will likely be challenged under due process and equal protection guarantees in the Constitution.
Experts say that compliance will be low as most of these illegal immigrants will not register because they believe that they will be put in immediate deportation proceedings. Meanwhile, immigration enforcement officials, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will have to employ the registry to locate and detain individuals who fail to cooperate. Legal challenges and public opposition, stoked by the impending deadline for implementation, are expected to affect how this policy is implemented and affects the future.
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