U.S. Senator Rick Scott has introduced the “Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act” to sharply increase financial penalties tied to illegal immigration. The proposed legislation would double existing civil fines for individuals who enter or attempt to cross into the United States unlawfully.

Key Provisions

The measure also sets much higher penalties for people who refuse to leave the country after receiving a final deportation order, as well as for businesses that knowingly hire workers who are not authorized to be employed in the U.S. Under the current draft of the bill, the minimum fine for an employer’s first violation would jump from $250 to $1,432. The penalty for individuals failing to depart the country would increase from $500 to $1,996.

Co-sponsored by Senators Mike Lee and Tim Sheehy, the bill is designed to transition immigration enforcement toward a self-funding model. The lawmakers state that the money collected from these increased fines would be directed straight to the Department of Homeland Security to help cover its daily operational costs.

“Illegal immigration is — in fact — illegal and has consequences,” Scott said in a statement. He argued that the bill enforces existing laws and ensures that those entering the country unlawfully face financial repercussions rather than shifting the burden to taxpayers.

Lee shared a similar perspective, pointing out that public services and schools have absorbed much of the financial impact. He stated he supported the legislation to “claw back Americans’ hard-earned money.” Sheehy added that the proposed changes strengthen accountability. He noted that the bill helps ensure that individuals breaking the law, rather than American families, “bear the consequences.”

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.