Trump Administration Says Illegal Immigrants Must Register or They’ll Face Fine, Prison: Key Details Explained- wna24

Washington: One of the first and most important executive orders signed by Donald Trump after assuming the duties of the US President, was the crackdown on illegal immigration, which also impacted Indian immigrants living illegally. In the latest development, the Trump administration has made registration with the federal government mandatory for all those living in the US illegally. Check details here…

Under the newly announced US Immigration Registry that stems out of the Alien Registration Act of 1940 and the more recent Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, all those who have been living in the United States illegally, will soon have to register themselves with the federal government or they will have to face a fine and prison. 

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The US Immigration Registry is compulsory for all illegal immigrants aged 14 and above who do not have a legal status. As per a statement from the Department of Homeland Security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services, registration of the illegal immigrants includes their fingerprints and address. Guardians and/or parents of All the illegal immigrants who are below the age of 14 must ensure their registration.

The registration has not yet opened but according to the official statement, a form will be announced soon and the process will be detained, according to which the illegal immigrants will have to complete their registration. The migrants are directed to create an online account on the official website of US Citizenship and Immigration Services; the website says that more information on the same will be available ‘in the coming days’.

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Speaking about the main aim of this announcement, i.e. the US immigration registry, the statement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security said that this is purely bureaucratic; it reinforces the enactment of the law and how the illegal immigrants must register. The statement reads, “No alien will have an excuse for failure to comply with this law.” The USCIS website has also specified that an identity card will be provided to all those who register themselves and anyone who is over the age of 18 is expected to ‘carry and keep in their possession at all times’. 

The Federal immigration law has been in the United States for decades; a National Security Entry-Exit Registration System was also set up in the US after 9/11 that mandated all non-citizen males aged 16 and older from 25 designated countries, most of which are predominantly Arab or Muslim to register with the US government. However, across decades, this registration requirement has hardly been enforced but according to officials, this will change now and the Trump administration will enforce all immigration laws instead of picking and choosing laws that must be enforced. The introduction of the registry enables the Trump administration to showcase its influence on the important topic of immigration. It also serves as a message to those residing in the US without legal status.

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Much about the registry remains uncertain at this point. However, legal experts suggest that the real-world impacts might not be significant, as individuals already living under the radar are unlikely to register, making them more vulnerable to deportation. “But even if it doesn’t actually accomplish much in terms of deporting more people, it sends a signal to the American people that ”We’re cracking down on immigrants,” and it will also heighten the fear immigrants already have about what’s going on,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a longtime immigration law scholar and retired Cornell Law School professor.