Federal courts are pushing back against a Trump administration initiative that seeks to criminally charge undocumented immigrants for failing to register their presence in the U.S.—a requirement revived through a little-known wartime law.
On April 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched an online registration system, mandating that non-citizens aged 14 and over submit their fingerprints and home addresses. This marked the enforcement of a World War II-era law resurrected under an executive order titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion." Violations of the law carry penalties of up to six months in prison and $5,000 in fines.
