Washington D.C.: In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, the Trump administration has announced the creation of a mandatory national registry for all undocumented immigrants in the United States. The move, aimed at fulfilling the administration’s election promise of mass deportations, will require undocumented individuals to register, submit fingerprints, and provide their address.
Failure to comply with the self-reporting requirement could result in fines, imprisonment, or deportation, immigration officials said on Tuesday.
The initiative stems from one of the 10 executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his inauguration day, which directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enforce longstanding registration laws for noncitizens. Citing a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act, the administration argued that all individuals aged 14 and older must register their presence in the country.
Crackdown on Illegal Immigration
The administration has made it clear that priority deportation will target individuals with criminal records. However, immigration advocates fear that this registry could be the first step toward widespread detentions and deportations of undocumented immigrants, including those who have been residing in the US for decades.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is set to launch an official online portal where undocumented immigrants will be required to register. “An alien’s failure to register is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both. For decades, this law has been ignored—not anymore,” an official statement from the DHS read.
Concerns Over Civil Rights and Precedent
The National Immigration Law Center, an advocacy group, has drawn historical parallels between this move and the Alien Registration Act of 1940, which required all noncitizens to register at their local post offices. Critics argue that such measures were originally designed to target political dissidents under the guise of national security.
With the Trump administration intensifying its efforts to seal the border and prevent new asylum seekers, immigration groups warn that the new registry could lead to mass surveillance and deportation of undocumented individuals, further escalating tensions over US immigration policy.
