By Charles Switzer
3:03am PDT, Apr 12, 2025
Judge Clears the Way for Immigrant Registry
On Thursday, April 10, a federal judge ruled that the
Donald Trump administration can proceed with its plan to require undocumented immigrants to register their personal information through a new online system.
The program, announced by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in February, is set to go into effect on Friday, April 11. It mandates that undocumented individuals, including minors aged 14 and up, provide details such as fingerprints and residential addresses.
According to
The Wall Street Journal, those who fail to comply could face fines of up to $5,000 and as much as six months in prison.
Here's what's happening.
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Legal Challenge from Advocacy Groups Dismissed
Several immigrant advocacy groups — including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA), United Farmworkers of America, Make the Road New York and CASA — filed suit last month seeking to block the registry from being implemented.
However, their efforts were rejected by D.C. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden.
"Plaintiffs have not shown that they are likely to succeed on the merits," McFadden wrote in his ruling. "They have failed to demonstrate that they have standing to bring this suit."
McFadden, whom President Donald Trump appointed, concluded that the harms alleged by the groups were "speculative" and that the organizations "have not shown that any individual member possesses a concrete harm cognizable by an Article III court."
Federal Law Cited in Justification for Registry
In his decision, Trevor McFadden pointed to long-standing precedent in immigration law. Laws requiring
non-citizens to register with the federal government have been on the books since the Alien Registration Act of 1940, with the current mandate originating from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952.
The new registry was established under President Donald Trump's "Day One" executive order titled
Protecting the American People Against Invasion.
That order directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement the registry using Section 262 of the INA and to prioritize enforcement actions against those who fail to register.
USCIS Defends the Registry Rollout
USCIS maintains that the registry is a means to enforce existing federal law and provide a mechanism for those who have not yet complied.
"Most aliens in the United States have already registered, as required by law," the agency said in a statement. "However, a significant number of aliens present in the United States have had no direct way in which to register and meet their obligation under INA [section] 262."
"In order that unregistered aliens may comply with their duty under INA [section] 262, USCIS is establishing a new form and process by which they may register," the agency continued. "No alien will have an excuse for failure to comply with this law."
Advocacy Groups Express Concern
The organizations that filed suit argue that the registry could become a tool for widespread immigration enforcement and deportation efforts by the Donald Trump administration.
They also contended that the policy should be delayed to allow for a public comment period.
So far, those arguments have not succeeded in court.
With the registry slated to begin immediately, these groups reportedly remain concerned about how the information collected may be used and whether it could lead to more aggressive enforcement policies in the coming months.
