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Trump administration using massive civil fines to push self-deportations

Oct 1, 2026 · 5m

Summary

This episode of "Trump's Terms" examines the Trump administration's use of massive civil fines to pressure undocumented immigrants to self-deport. It profiles Tito Sabillon, a Honduran migrant in North Carolina, who faces a fine exceeding $1 million despite having a U.S. citizen spouse and a local business. The segment highlights the administration's claim that over 100,000 such fines have been issued, totaling billions of dollars. Legal experts and advocates argue the policy targets individuals pursuing legal status and is part of a flawed system Congress has not updated since 1996. A clas…

Topics discussed

Show intro and host Scott Detrow Overview of new civil fines for undocumented immigrants Tito Sabillon's story and $1M fine Personal impact and family ties in the US DHS data on fines and daily penalties Family defense and voter regret Critique of flawed immigration system Legal context and 1996 law limitations Legal challenges and class action lawsuit Outro and NPR Plus promotion
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