Paying $1.8M: Man who came to Washington as refugee from Vietnam receives shocking letter from Homeland Security

A Vietnamese man in his forties, who had lived in the United States since he was five years old, received the shock of his life when he opened a letter from the Department of Homeland Security. The man, who declined to reveal his identity for fear of further retaliation from the government, was ordered to pay nearly $1.8 million to the federal government for failing to leave the United States after receiving a deportation order, King5 reported. The man was deported in 2007 but was unable to leave the United States because Vietnam does not issue travel documents to certain refugees, said his attorney, Olia Catala. Katara told the news outlet she had heard of similar letters, but the amount in this case was astronomical. “I don’t know anyone who has $1.8 million. When you get this letter, it’s a shocking amount,” the lawyer said. She also explained that the man had a valid work permit and that it was checked regularly every year. The man came to the United States in the early 1980s when he was five years old. “It is ordered that you be assessed a civil penalty of one million…$823,522,” Katara wrote in the letter.This letter is not invalid. It’s based on a federal law that allows the government to impose daily fines on immigrants who fail to leave the country after a final deportation order. The law has been in effect since 1996, but immigration experts say it has been rarely enforced for decades. Fines can range up to $500 per day. The American Immigration Council says fines can currently be up to $998 per day.

Can immigrants receive letters like this?

Katara told the media that if immigrants receive such notices demanding hefty fines, they should not panic and should seek legal advice immediately. The Department of Homeland Security has been promoting self-deportation through their app and is now offering a $2,600 exit bonus for those who choose to self-deport. “DHS is announcing a historic opportunity for illegal immigrants to receive free travel, waive any failure to depart penalties, and a $2,600 exit bonus to return to their home country or another country where they have legal status through the CBP Home mobile app,” the Department of Homeland Security said.