by Tyler Durden
The Trump administration is planning to hire private investigators to track down deported immigrants in their home countries, verify where they live, and deliver notices seeking payment of U.S. immigration fines, according to Wired.
The proposed program, budgeted at up to $9 million over two years, would cover countries including Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Rather than collecting money directly, contractors would be paid to confirm a person's location using evidence such as photographs of their residence, public records, utility bills, employment information, or other documentation accepted by the government. They would also hand-deliver notices listing any outstanding penalties.
Wired writes that the initiative comes as DHS says it has assessed more than $84 billion in civil immigration fines, including "failure-to-depart" penalties that can accumulate to hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars. Although the administration has encouraged migrants to self-deport by promising to forgive many of these fines, legal advocates argue the new overseas tracking effort undercuts that message because some penalties can still remain.
Claire's Observations: (Sigh) OK, what troglodyte from another planet, via some interplanetary DEI program buried deep in the bowels of the Federal budget, was hired to do the cost/benefit study on this?
I want to see the numbers, and just how they got "crunched", to come to the conclusion that this was "a good idea."
And forgive me, but how are these fines supposed to be collected, and by whom?!? That is never really made clear.
What happens when monies are collected in local currencies, if they can be collected, and then converted to US dollars?!? Here is what one US dollar is worth, in the currencies of the above referenced countries: 🇲🇽 Mexico: 17.14 pesos 🇬🇹 Guatemala: 7.7–7.8 quetzales: 🇭🇳 Honduras: 26.8 lempiras.
So someone would almost have to be a zillionaire, by local standards, in order to pay these fees. And if they were zillionaires by local standards, why in heaven's name, would they have needed to come into the US illegally ?
What happens when the individuals being pursued, cannot possibly pay these fees because they are unable to find work, even if they are looking diligently to become employed?!?
Will local municipalities throw them in jail for non-payment of a foreign governmental fine, where it will be impossible for them to work, except as forced labour on governmental projects? I mean, what are the odds?!?
I'll give you a very succinct, three word description of those odds; next to zero.
Thoughts and words fail me here; isn't it enough that these people are living in their countries of origin, and not a burden on US state/federal budgets regarding housing; education; and medical care?!?
