Trump to force migrants to join registry or face fines, prison

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is planning to require undocumented immigrants to join a federal registry, threatening potential fines, prison time and deportation for anyone caught failing to participate. 

Adding to US President

Donald Trump’s broad immigration crackdown

, enforcement of the Alien Registration Requirement is based on a 1940 law intended to root out subversive activities and identify anyone trying to overthrow the US government. 

“The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws – we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Feb 25. 

Under the new requirement, any foreigner 14 years old or above who has not previously been fingerprinted or registered by the US government must join the registry and update their current address if they have been in the country for more than 30 days.

There have been previous attempts to use a registration system on a smaller scale.

Former US president George W. Bush started a requirement for some visa holders shortly after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.

The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, known as NSEERS, targeted all males 16 and older from 25 countries, all but one of which had a Muslim majority. 

In Mr Trump’s current term, he has pledged to carry out the largest deportation effort in US history.

During his first two weeks in office, the authorities made about 10,000 arrests and

used military planes to carry out deportations

to Central and South America. 

But the pace of arrests has slowed, prompting frustration within the administration and multiple leadership shake-ups at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as details of some planned arrest operations have leaked and migrant advocates and others have launched campaigns to advise migrants of their rights. BLOOMBERG