Raw Story

Sanchez was already nervous about receiving a letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but nothing could prepare him for seeing the dollar amount the government said he owed them: $1,820,252.00

The Cuban landscaper, who came to the United States with his family 20 years ago, was floored. The Arizona Mirror isn’t identifying Sanchez by his full name because he fears he will be retaliated against for speaking out.

Just two years prior, at a checkpoint in El Paso, Texas, immigration officials had told him he had a valid green card and sent him on his way after he was pulled into a secondary search. Now, he was being told he owed the government $1.8 million for failing to deport.

“I can’t even sleep worrying about it. What am I going to do?” Sanchez told the Mirror, adding that he is worried about being able to provide for his three children, all of whom are U.S. citizens.

His ability to work has become difficult, as he now fears Immigration and Customs Enforcement will come take him. He’s avoiding his family for their safety and taking any odd jobs he can, he says.

He said he feels like he is already in jail.

Sanchez isn’t the only immigrant facing seven figures in fines, either.

The fines are part of a new push by President Donald Trump’s administration to increase deportation figures. Critics argue it is an intimidation tactic meant to force immigrants into self-deportation and rob them of due process.

Sanchez’s case is one of thousands across the country where DHS is charging immigrants $998 a day for staying in the country. The fines can be levied for a maximum of five years, and that’s what’s happening to Sanchez and the others, who all have been saddled with the same $1.8 million fine.

“It is all about putting pressure on people, it is not about a reasonable expectation of collection,” said Hasan Shafiqullah, an immigration attorney who is part of a network of attorneys fighting back against the fines.

No lawyer, no money, no options

Sanchez came to the United States 20 years ago at the age of 18 because his family was fleeing political persecution in Cuba. His father had been outspoken against the communist Castro regime and feared retaliation in a country that has a documented history of repressing dissent.

Ever since, he has worked as a landscaper and has had no major run-ins with the law.

He has found a partner and started a family, with three children aged 3, 10 and 12, who he said he rarely sees out of fear of putting them at risk of a raid by ICE.

The letter, which the Mirror viewed, is similar to ones sent to many others across the country. The letter is signed by “Immigration Officer 1” and includes little information other than the amount of money he owes.

The letter includes information about setting up a payment plan with a link to a QR code to scan. When asked if he had done this, Sanchez said no, adding he was worried it was a trap.

“People are rightfully nervous,” Shafiqullah said, adding that he was unaware of any enforcement action related to fines yet.

But that didn’t quell Sanchez’s nerves. He’s worried that even if he tries to pay, he’ll be put in a detention facility, and if he can’t pay enough, he’ll be put in prison — so he’s considering self-deportation. DHS has said previously that those who chose to self-deport through their application would have their fines forgiven, but he doesn’t trust DHS to be true to their word.

“DHS is encouraging illegal aliens to voluntarily depart using the CBP Home app, which allows them to fly home for free and receive a $2,600 stipend, while preserving the option to return the legal, right way,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement to the Mirror. “Illegal aliens who do not depart will face fines of $1,000 per day, as well as arrest and deportation without return.”

With no money and no attorney to fight for him, Sanchez said he isn’t sure what other options he has and he fears being put into a facility where stories of mistreatment have become commonplace.

And it’s unclear if self-deportation would lift the burden of the fines.

“You could self deport and still have the fine out there accruing interest,” Shafiqullah said.

And that means it would be impossible to ever return to the U.S. or to send money to family members who remain in America without it being seized.

Project Homecoming

Last year, Trump signed an executive order titled “Establishing Project Homecoming” to encourage self-deportation. It talks about using fines, including garnishing wages and property, as a means of pressuring immigrants to self-deport.

In a statement to NBC 7 San Diego, DHS stood by the fines, saying they had issued fines to about 65,000 people, totalling $36 billion.

DHS repeated that same statement to the Mirror.

“Between January 20, 2025, and March 18, 2026, ICE issued 65,101 civil fines to illegal aliens totaling more than $36 billion,” DHS said. “Our message is clear: Illegal aliens in the country illegally should leave now or face consequences.”

Trump is the first president to impose the fines, though they’ve been an option for presidents since 1996, when they were established as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.

And this isn’t even Trump’s first time imposing the fines. His first administration also levied fines against immigrants, though it was an unsuccessful initiative: The majority of the fines came back as undeliverable in the mail, and ICE collected a total of just $4,215. President Joe Biden did away with the policy during his term.

When Trump returned to office, DHS began implementing the fines again.

But it is unclear if they’ll even be able to get that money, and Shafiqullah is part of a lawsuit that is asking a judge to halt their implementation until the courts can decide on their legality.

Without a judgment against an individual, the government can’t do much in regards to getting the money. It can begin garnishing wages, but seizing assets would require a judgment.

Many cases end up being sent to debt collectors. Shortly after the Mirror interviewed Sanchez, his fines were sent to collections.

For Shafiqullah and the lawsuit, the fines represent the government acting in a way that is “arbitrary and capricious” — and also likely unconstitutional.

ICE has to prove that people like Sanchez and others are willfully not departing despite having orders to depart. In most of the cases, the individuals are seeking things like asylum, green cards or other pathways to citizenship.

Shafiqullah said such immigration procedures can sometimes take years through the legal process, and waiting out the process doesn’t mean someone is willfully not departing.

Additionally, the people getting these fines are often not given a chance to appeal or given a jury trial, and the notices are sent to a last known address with 15 days to respond. That violates the Constitutional right to due process, according to the lawsuit challenging their use.

But even if the fines are found to be illegal or a court imposes an injunction, it doesn’t bring much hope to Sanchez’s current reality.

“It has affected me a lot,” Sanchez said, looking down and wringing his hands.

He doesn’t want to bring danger to his family but needs to provide for them. He isn’t sure what to do.

A situation, he noted, that he knows many others are likely in, as well.

Ken Griffin, a wealthy investor and one of the largest Republican megadonors, conceded to CNBC's Sara Eisen on Tuesday that he expects Democrats to win the House of Representatives this fall.

"I think Trump has to deal with that reality that the American people have just had it when it comes to inflation," said Griffin. "And unfortunately, I think he's being disproportionately blamed for the diminution in purchasing power, the story of which was really written during the pandemic days of the Biden administration."

"And all the money that got injected into the economy afterwards. So, I mean, do you see the Democrats taking Congress?" asked Eisen.

"So it's almost a certainty the Democrats will take the House," said Griffin. "That's the — that's the nature of almost every midterm election cycle, is the House seats swing in the in the favor of the opposing party, the Senate will be the big battleground in this midterm."

He went on to express his confidence that Republicans could still retain control of the Senate, where Democrats would have to pick up at least four Republican-held seats without losing any of their own in battleground states.

Griffin, who runs the Citadel hedge fund, has had a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump, backing many of his policies, but also keeping him at arm's length, endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over him in the 2024 primary, and accusing Trump of using the government to corruptly enrich himself.

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A rat-borne virus that broke out aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Cape Verde, West Africa, is now suspected to have spread to seven people, according to reports.

The World Health Organization, or WHO, confirmed two cases and suspects five others aboard the MV Hondius cruise. Of them, one patient who is critically ill and three others with mild symptoms. Three people have already died.

The dead include two senior Dutch passengers and a German national.

The Dutch cruise ship paused its weeks-long journey to Argentina, Antarctica and other islands in the South Atlantic, and has been waiting for help after Cape Verde authorities denied passengers the right to disembark due to public health concerns, reports The Seattle Times and The Associated Press.

According to the Daily Beast, the outbreak began between April 6 and April 28. Symptoms include fever and gastrointestinal issues. In severe cases, it can result in pneumonia, respiratory failure and shock.

The WHO said passengers were asked to stay in their cabins and, “limit their risk while disinfection and other measures are being taken,” according to The Seattle Times and AP.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Hantavirus has a high fatality rate, adding that it's typically transmitted to humans through exposure to rodent feces.

The Daily Beast reported that, although most strains do not spread between people, a rare variant found in parts of Argentina and Chile’s Andes has shown otherwise.

“We do know that some of the cases had very close contact with each other and certainly human-to-human transmission can’t be ruled out so, as a precaution, this is what we are assuming,” Dr. Maria Van Kerhove, WHO’s Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and prevention, said.

Van Kerhove added, “The risk to the general public is low.”

The Seattle Times and AP reported authorities in Cape Verde sent teams of doctors, surgeons, nurses and laboratory specialists to provide the vessel with medical support.

“The outbreak is being managed through coordinated international response, and includes in-depth investigations, case isolation and care, medical evacuation and laboratory investigations,” said a WHO representative.

Reporters at the White House press briefing on Tuesday were audibly laughing after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on a pro-MAGA correspondent to ask a question.

Rubio called on Cara Castronuova, a White House correspondent for LindellTV, which is owned by Mike Lindell, a Trump ally who also founded My Pillow, when the laughter broke out.

"What happened, why is everyone giggling? What happened? I'm sorry, are they being mean to you? Rubio asked.

"I don't think they are, I don't think they are, I hope not," Castronuova said, asking Rubio to comment on Trump's comment that Iranians needed guns and if the U.S. would supply those.

Panic ensued online Friday following reports that two top U.S. military and intelligence officials briefed President Donald Trump Thursday on “new plans for possible military action against Iran,” with Drop Site News noting that the president received a “similar briefing” on Feb. 26, just two days before the United States launched Operation Epic Fury.

According to Axios, Trump received a briefing Thursday from Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Fox News’ Jesse Watters confirmed Axios’ reporting, telling viewers that the two had briefed Trump in the Situation Room on potential military actions against Iran that could end up being the “final blow” for the Middle East nation.

Cooper and Caine had reportedly given Trump a similar briefing just two days ahead of the United States’ large-scale attack on Iran, sparking fear among onlookers.

“What the f---,” wrote prominent progressive media commentator and podcast host Ryan Knight on Friday in a social media post on X. “A US Admiral just briefed Trump on preparations for a new wave of strikes to deliver the ‘final blow’ to Iran. Final blow sounds like they’re planning to use nukes. This should concern everyone.”

Republican Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers responded to the news by warning of a “countdown to doom” ahead, whereas libertarian political podcaster Michael Oxford expressed confusion.

A retired police officer who performed for decades as the 1920s blackface entertainer Al Jolson is seeking elected office in Maryland.

Bobby Berger, who finally stopped performing in blackface a decade ago after the intensifying public outcry, will appear on the ballot for the state House of Delegates as Bobby Al Jolson Berger, and said he still misses singing the entertainer's century-old hits like "Mammy," "Swanee" and "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody," reported WYPR-FM.

“I stopped because the people that came to scream about it might hurt people that were inside when they left,” Berger said. It’s gotten to be a crazy world this time.”

Berger's retirement of his Jolson impersonation act was covered in 2016 by The Washington Post, whose reporter and photographer attended his final performance at a suburban Baltimore ballroom.

“When I do the makeup, I look exactly like Al Jolson,” Berger told the paper at the time. “Which adds a whole lot to the performance. It’s just hard for me to believe that anybody that looks at it logically ... Thousands, thousands of black people have seen this show. They had no problem with it.”

Berger also made national news in 2015, when he planned to perform as Jolson at a fundraiser for six Baltimore police officers charged in the killing of Freddie Gray, but critics argued his act was “racist and in poor taste.”

“I told him, ‘Your timing is very bad,’” Daryl Davis, a Black musician who plays with Berger, told The Post. “Baltimore was burning to the ground with riots over racism and you’re going to wear blackface? But he just wasn’t thinking in those terms.”

Davis, like Berger, agrees that Jolson was a significant ally to Black performers during his life and used his clout to help them get work on Broadway, which Davis said "opened doors" for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and other musicians now considered legendary.

Berger was fired as a Baltimore police officer in the 1980s over his blackface performances, but he sued successfully and eventually got his job back.

“All they knew was the blackface," he said. "That’s all they knew.”

He's running his first-ever political campaign as a Republican for one of three House seats representing District 6 in June 23's primary election, where he'll face off against GOP incumbents Ric Metzgar, Bob Long and Robin Grammer.

“I’m just into people,” Berger said. “I want to help people if I can.”