Summary: Effective April 11, 2025, the government will require that any non-citizen over the age of 14 who is not registered with the government, and has been in country for more than 30 days, apply for registration and fingerprinting.

When Donald Trump took office, one of the first orders he signed required any non-citizen who was over the age of 14 and had been in the US for more than 30 days to apply for registration and fingerprinting with the government through Form G-325R. For those non-citizens who are under 14, their parents are required to register their children. This order is set to take effect on April 11, 2025. For any non-citizen who is not already registered with the government, this order requires that they do so under penalty of prosecution. It also requires that any non-citizens who register or are registered must inform the government within 10 days of any change of address.

This order is seeking out those who entered the US without being inspected upon entry, either with a visa or some sort of status. Many people who have applied for some sort of immigration benefit or who have been in immigration court are likely already registered. 

Who is considered registered? 

• Green card holders (lawful permanent residents)
• People who were granted parole, including advance parole (even if that has expired or been revoked) 
• People who came to the US on a visa (even if it has expired)
• People who are going through immigration court proceedings (deportation/removal)
• People granted any employment authorization (work permit), even if it is expired
• Refugees
• People who have applied for lawful permanent residence (even if it was denied)
• People with border crossing cards or entered the US as a “crewman” 

What about DACA, TPS, or asylum? 

If you have a work permit under one of these categories, you are considered registered. If you have advance parole through one of these programs, you are considered registered. However, if you have applied for and/or received DACA, TPS, or asylum but you did not receive an Employment Authorization Document (work permit), you are not considered registered.

Will I get deported if I register? What happens if I do not register? 

There is no single answer to this question, it will depend on your specific situation. Registering may have negative life-altering consequences, and not registering may have a similar result. 

The following information has been taken directly from the National Immigration Law Center website:

• Immigration consequences: The government could – and has stated that it likely would – try to arrest and deport you using the information you provide when you register. Depending on your individual situation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) might send you a letter telling you to report to an ICE office. When you report, ICE might detain you or put you in deportation proceedings. If you can’t show you have been in the U.S. for longer than two years, ICE could put you in “expedited removal,” a fast-track deportation process that allows ICE to deport people quickly without any chance to go before a judge.
• Criminal consequences: Coming forward to register may also make you vulnerable to the government charging you with a migration-related criminal offense. If you have been in the U.S. for less than five years and entered without inspection, you might be vulnerable to being charged with the federal crime of illegal entry. If you were deported from the U.S. before and later returned by crossing the border without authorization, the government might be able to charge you with the federal crime of illegal reentry.

The government has also threatened consequences for people who are instructed to register but don’t, including criminal and immigration penalties.

• Criminal consequences: The government has threatened to bring criminal charges against people who are instructed to register but do not do so, and the Trump administration has told its federal prosecutors to make these charges a priority. This could mean that any contact with law enforcement, including ICE or local police, could lead to criminal charges for failing to register in addition to immigration detention and possible deportation. Specifically, the government is threatening to prosecute people with a few different charges connected to the registration requirement, all federal misdemeanor offenses:
  • failure to register, which can be punished with a fine up to $5,000 or up to six months imprisonment;
  • failure to carry proof of registration, which can be punished with a fine up to $5,000 or up to 30 days imprisonment; and
  •  failure to notify the government within 10 days of a change of address, which can be punished with a fine of up to $200 or up to 30 days imprisonment.

There is also a separate criminal offense and deportation ground for registering using false statements.

• Immigration consequences: Most immigration benefits or visas are “discretionary,” meaning the government can use someone’s past negative action to deny them the immigration benefit or visa. If you do not register and later apply for an immigration benefit or visa, the government might deny that benefit or visa for failing to register.

How do I register? 

You must first create an online USCIS account and then submit the Form G-325R. This form asks for information such as name, mailing and physical address, country of birth, immigration history, planned activity in the US, criminal and conviction history, information about your family members, and other information. There is no fee to file this form.

Sources: https://www.nilc.org/resources/know-your-rights-trumps-registration-requirement-for-immigrants/