Kristi Noem urges illegal immigrants to register with DHS: ‘No sanctuary for noncompliance’
Washington Examiner, Anna Giaritelli, 4/10/25
EXCLUSIVE — The Trump administration, backed by a federal court ruling, is warning immigrants illegally residing in the United States to register with the federal government by Friday or face fines and imprisonment.
The Department of Homeland Security is reminding all noncitizen residents who have been in the country for more than 30 days to register with the government by Friday to comply with the Alien Registration Act.
“The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws — we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce,” Noem said in an advanced copy of the press release, obtained first by the Washington Examiner. “We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.”
Noem’s notice comes after a significant court win on Thursday for the Trump administration. Judge Trevor Neil McFadden decided the administration could move forward with the requirement that everyone in the United States illegally register with the government, effective Friday.
The administration is relying on the Alien Registration Act of 1940, known as the Smith Act, enacted amid World War II. While it has been in effect for over 80 years, the DHS re-upped the requirement following President Donald Trump’s executive order in January, directing the department to restore order and accountability to the immigration system.
The directive requires immigrants 14 or older who were not previously fingerprinted or registered when obtaining a visa or being released into the country from the border to do so now. Parents must also register children under 14, but they will not be fingerprinted.
Immigrants will then be given registration cards, which they must always carry.
Failure to register or carry the registration card comes with the risk of criminal and civil penalties, a new addition compared to years past. Offenders could face a maximum $5,000 fine and six months in federal prison.
The registry is part of an effort to compel “mass self-deportation” to take the pressure off law enforcement. DHS officials warned in the statement Thursday that “there will be no sanctuary for noncompliance.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REINSTATES ICE OFFICE FOR AMERICANS VICTIMIZED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Noem also announced on March 10 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was debuting a phone app, CBP Home, for immigrants to register with DHS agency U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to self-deport.
“President Trump and I have a clear message for those in our country illegally: Leave now,” Noem said. “If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.”