LOL: CBP To Charge Illegal Border Crossers $5k As An “Apprehension Fee”

Oh, this is definitely going to cause Apoplexy Category 5, but, can they do anything legally but caterwaul?

US Border Patrol to charge illegal migrants with $5K ‘apprehension fee’

The US Border Patrol warned Friday it will be imposing a $5,000 “apprehension fee” to all illegal migrants caught in the country.

The penalty was approved under President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” and is in addition to other fines already levied against some illegal immigrants taken into custody, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said in a Friday statement on X.

Banks said that any migrants “age 14 or older” who entered or were brought into the US “without inspection” will be slapped with a $5,000 fee.

“This message applies to all illegal aliens—regardless of where they entered, how long they’ve been in the U.S., their current location, or any ongoing immigration proceedings,” Banks said.

Well, in fairness, charging illegals/fake asylum seekers who came in prior to the passage of the BBB might very well violate Article I, Section 9, Clause 3 about ex post facto laws. Or it may not, since ex post facto is mostly about criminality of some sort, and has ruled in favor of retroactive taxes. For instance

The majority further opined: “Laws of a retroactive nature, imposing taxes or providing remedies for their assessment and collection, and not impairing vested rights, are not forbidden by the Federal Constitution.”

Of course, the last ruling was in 1923. And, really, retroactively applying taxes/fees should be forbidden.

First article

Earlier this year, officials said that they would be charging migrants with deportation orders who refuse to leave with a $1,000 fine for each day they overstayed.

In late August, the Wall Street Journal reported that around 21,500 fines had been issued — totaling at an estimated $6.1 billion.

But, how much has actually been collected? Regardless, both fees are designed to 1. deter illegals/fake asylum seekers from coming to the U.S. and 2. to get them to voluntarily leave, especially the $5K.

Meanwhile