ICE ends Trump-era policy of fining undocumented immigrants

(KYMA, KECY/CNN) - Immigration and Customs Enforcement will no longer issue fines to undocumented immigrants who have failed to depart the United States. A reversal from the Trump-era policy that threatened immigrants with thousands of dollars in debt to the federal government.

The agency announced it on Friday. ICE officials said the agency rescinded the two Trump-era orders on the collection of financial penalties after determining the policy to be “ineffective,” and that it intends to cancel fines already issued to undocumented immigrants.

ICE has had the authority to assess financial penalties to individuals for failing to depart for more than 20 years, but the agency did not initiate enforcement of these penalties until 2018, according to ICE.