(The Center Square) – A new fine process is underway for foreign nationals illegally living in the country.

The departments of Homeland Security and Justice announced a new joint federal rule went into effect with a public comment period extended through July 28.

The rule amends existing DHS and DOJ regulations authorizing DHS to issue civil monetary penalties as stipulated by the Immigration and Nationality Act “for aliens who fail to depart voluntarily during the voluntary departure period, willfully fail or refuse to depart after a final removal order … or are apprehended while improperly entering or attempting to enter the United States.”

The current process requires giving illegal foreign nationals 30 days’ notice of intent to fine them before a fine is issued. The rule eliminates the 30-day notice period, authorizes DHS immigration officers to mail fines to illegal foreign nationals who have addresses on record and shortens the appeal process. It also transfers the appeals process from the DOJ Board of Immigration Appeals to DHS.

The fine process applies to “aliens who enter the United States illegally; aliens who ignore removal orders or delay their removal; aliens who do not honor agreements to comply with judges’ voluntary departure orders,” DHS says.

The fines are incremental, including between:

• $100 to $500 for each unlawful entry or attempted entry;
• $1,992 to $9,970 for those who fail to honor a voluntary departure order;
• up to $998 per day for those who willfully refuse to comply with a removal order from a federal judge.

Under federal law, 8 USC 1324d imposes civil penalties for failure to depart. It stipulates that “Any alien subject to a final order of removal who- (1) willfully fails or refuses to-(A) depart from the United States pursuant to the order, (B) make timely application in good faith for travel or other documents necessary for departure, or (C) present for removal at the time and place required by the Attorney General; or (2) conspires to or takes any action designed to prevent or hamper the alien’s departure pursuant to the order, shall pay a civil penalty of not more than $500 to the Commissioner for each day the alien is in violation of this section.”

This provision of the law wasn’t enforced by any administration until the first Trump administration. The Biden administration halted any enforcement of it. The second Trump administration announced it was reinstituting it in May.

As of June 13, ICE has already issued nearly 10,000 fine notices, DHS says.

“For decades, this law has been ignored – not anymore,” DHS said when announcing it was requiring all noncitizens living in the U.S. legally and illegally to register with the federal government in accordance with the law,” The Center Square reported.

“An alien’s failure to depart the U.S. is a crime that could result in significant financial penalty. An alien’s failure to register is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both,” DHS warned.

By contrast, those who self-deport using the CBP Home App will receive a $1,000 stipend after they arrive in their home country, confirmed on the app, The Center Square reported.

“Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S. and will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement” agents, DHS said.

Those who self-deport using the app will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for previously failing to depart the U.S.

They “will also be deprioritized for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure,” and “may help preserve the option … to re-enter the United States legally in the future,” DHS said.

Qualifying illegal foreign nationals are encouraged to submit their “Intent to Depart” using the CBP Home app here.

(The Center Square) – Most U.S. voters oppose having data centers built in their community and even more oppose the data centers if tax incentives are awarded to have them built, according to a poll released Wednesday morning by Libertas Network.

Overton Insights asked 1,200 registered voters the questions between June 23-26 on behalf of Libertas, which says it focuses on family education and policy reform as it looks to “change hearts, minds and laws to create a freer future.”

Libertas had Overton Insights ask the data center questions upon suggestion from The Center Square.

The poll asked voters specifically if they supported or opposed building new data centers for artificial intelligence in their community with 46% of respondents strongly or somewhat opposing the prospect, 36% strongly or somewhat supporting and 18% uncertain.

Of those that supported building data centers in their community, 69% still supported the idea if tax subsidies or incentives were involved to bring the data centers while 23% or those initially supportive would oppose the idea if those tax breaks were involved.

Data center projects have popped up across the country in recent years with many of those proposals including tax breaks.

The data centers are used to create the computing power for AI and to store the large amounts of information needed for those technologies but the Incentives are often opposed because, despite the large amount of money spent on the buildings, they do not require much staff and they take a large amount of energy.

The average American’s energy bill could increase from 25% to 70% in the next 10 years without intervention from policymakers, according to Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Jack Kemp Foundation.

A least 10 states are currently losing $100 million or more in taxes from data centers, according to an April report from Good Jobs First.

Data centers often require politicians to sign non-disclosure agreements during the proposal process, including keeping the name of the technology company involved along with the details of a project secret.

The secrecy occurred during the process of building a recent Indianapolis data center, according to WFYI, while the names have leaked of developers involved in several Wisconsin data center projects where state lawmakers are asking to create a data center exception to state laws on property tax captures at the sites to lure the projects to the state.

“These data centers are so big and so valuable and such a prize for a community that (state laws capping TIFs) really creates a problem,” said Wisconsin Sen. John Jagler, R-Watertown.

Virginia currently has a backlog of data center projects as they complete interconnection studies to ensure they can safely attach to the energy grid.

Projects needing more than 50 megawatts of power often require transmission-level access, which adds federal oversight from PJM, the regional grid operator for Virginia and 12 other states.

(The Center Square) – As the U.S. House of Representatives takes up the now 887-page version of the reconciliation budget bill, questions on change of votes from a 215-214 decision are paramount.

North Carolina’s 14 members, through early Wednesday morning, were yet to show change. All 10 Republicans were for the House version on May 22 and all four Democrats were against it.

“If the One Big Beautiful Bill Act doesn’t pass, it will have disastrous effects on America’s fiscal trajectory,” said Republican Rep. Richard Hudson. “House Republicans are going to get this done.”

He said “the Democrats voting against it are in favor of” more than “$700 billion in wasteful Medicaid spending for illegal aliens and people who can work but refuse to, instead of America’s most vulnerable; $500 billion in Green New Deal giveaways and luxury EV credits; nearly $200 billion in SNAP waste, fraud and abuse; illegal aliens continuing to receive taxpayer-funded benefits, including Medicaid.”

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx leads the Rules Committee that immediately got the bill back on the floor for debate. Her reposts on social media did not indicate a change of heart.

“Senate Republicans passed their terrible budget bill today, so I’m back in D.C. fighting for North Carolinians and everyone who would be hurt by this cruel transfer of wealth from everyday Americans to the ultra-rich,” Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross said on Tuesday.

She joined Democratic Rep. Alma Adams’ letter to Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., with 31 other signatures requesting “harmful cuts to the federal SNAP program” be eliminated.

Reps. Tim Moore, Addison McDowell and Brad Knott indicated undoubtable favor with the Senate’s changes.

“Small businesses need the One Big Beautiful Bill’s tax relief and will suffer if Democrats succeed in stalling this historic legislation,” Knott said. “We must pass OBBB and deliver for all Americans, especially small business owners.”

He also said the “goal is simple: deliver for the American people” and cited tax relief for “individuals, families, family farms and small businesses; border security; public safety; energy security.”

There was no indication of change following the Senate passage in either direction from Republican Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy, Rev. Mark Harris, David Rouzer or Pat Harrigan or Democratic Reps. Don Davis and Valerie Foushee.