The Biden administration turned a blind eye to immigration laws for four years.
But President Trump is taking a different approach.
And Donald Trump just enforced one forgotten law that sent illegal aliens into a complete panic.
Trump brings back World War II-era registration law
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to secure America’s borders and enforce every immigration law on the books.
He’s keeping that promise by reviving a World War II-era statute that previous administrations ignored for decades.
The Trump administration is now enforcing the Alien Registration Act of 1940, which mandates that virtually all non-citizens living in the United States register with federal authorities and provide their fingerprints.
This 85-year-old law sat collecting dust while previous administrations chose to look the other way.
That’s changed under President Trump.
Federal prosecutors in Louisiana, Arizona, Montana, Alabama, Texas, and Washington, D.C., are now filing criminal charges against people for “willful failure to register” under this previously dormant statute.
Many career federal public defenders have never encountered these charges before because the law hasn’t been enforced in 75 years.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates that between 2.2 million and 3.2 million illegal immigrants currently fall under this registration requirement.
DHS made clear this isn’t just symbolic enforcement when officials announced in February: “For decades, this law has been ignored—not anymore.”
The agency explained that encouraging “mass self-deportation” creates “a safer path for aliens and law enforcement” while saving taxpayer dollars.
New registration system puts illegal immigrants in impossible position
The registration law creates what legal experts call a “catch-22” situation for illegal immigrants.
If they register with the government, they must hand over detailed personal information including exactly how and when they entered the country illegally.
But refusing to register is also a federal crime punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Trump administration hopes this dilemma will encourage many illegal immigrants to choose a third option: voluntarily leaving the country.
DHS has created a new seven-page registration form called G-325R that requires extensive biographical details, contact information, criminal history, and circumstances of entry into the United States.
Since the enforcement began in April, approximately 47,000 illegal aliens have registered using this new form.
Wayne State University law professor Jonathan Weinberg explained the administration’s strategy: “The sort of obvious reason to bring back registration in the first place is the hope that people will register, and therefore give themselves up effectively to the government.”
Left-wing groups immediately file lawsuits
Predictably, left-wing advocacy groups rushed to federal court to try blocking Trump’s enforcement of existing law.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and other groups filed a lawsuit in March challenging the registration requirement.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden initially questioned the administration’s approach but ultimately refused to temporarily halt the policy.
The judge ruled that the advocacy groups likely lack legal standing to sue because they couldn’t demonstrate direct harm from enforcing the registration law.
The groups have appealed that decision, but enforcement continues while the case proceeds through the courts.
Some early prosecutions face legal hurdles
The Justice Department’s initial attempts to prosecute registration violations have encountered some obstacles.
In May, federal magistrate judge Michael North in Louisiana dismissed five criminal cases, ruling that prosecutors lacked probable cause to prove defendants intentionally refused to register.
Judge North noted that the registration law requires “some level of subjective knowledge or bad intent” behind the decision not to register.
He pointed out that most people simply don’t know about this obscure law, and the government hadn’t provided a way for people to register since 1950.
However, Judge North also observed that prosecutors should have an easier time proving their cases going forward, since DHS created the new registration process in April.
Government attorneys have appealed the dismissed cases.
America’s security comes first
The Trump administration isn’t picking and choosing which laws to enforce like previous administrations did.
President Trump believes we must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland.
The registration requirement is part of Trump’s comprehensive immigration enforcement strategy that also includes invoking the Alien Enemies Act and conducting targeted immigration raids.
Michelle LaPointe from the American Immigration Council acknowledged these initial prosecutions represent just “the tip of the iceberg.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., emphasized the administration’s commitment: “We are aggressively pursuing criminals in the district and will use all criminal justice resources available to make D.C. safe and to carry out President Trump’s and Attorney General Bondi’s direction to support immigration enforcement.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem delivered a clear message to illegal immigrants: “President Trump and I have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.”
She added: “The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws—we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.”
Enforcing the law protects Americans
Unlike the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policies, President Trump is using every legal tool available to secure our borders.
The Alien Registration Act represents just one weapon in the administration’s arsenal to address the immigration crisis created by four years of open border policies.
This isn’t about creating new restrictions—it’s about enforcing laws that have been on the books for 85 years.
The Trump administration recognizes that national security requires knowing who is present in our country.
After years of the previous administration ignoring immigration laws, Americans finally have a President who puts their safety first.
The registration requirement sends a clear message that the days of ignoring federal immigration law are over.
