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Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-102

§1330 Collection of Penalties and Expenses

Title 8 › CHAPTER 12 — IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › SUBCHAPTER II — IMMIGRATION › Part VIII — General Penalty Provisions › § 1330

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Attorney General to sue in civil court to collect any fine, penalty, or expense that someone must pay under certain immigration rules. Stopping a ship or plane from leaving or putting a legal claim on it is not the only way to get those payments. The Attorney General can choose to file a lawsuit in the name of the United States to collect the money from anyone who is responsible. Creates an "Immigration Enforcement Account" in the Treasury general fund. Into that account go two kinds of penalty money: the penalty increases from sections 203(b) and 543(a) of the Immigration Act of 1990, and civil penalties collected under sections 1229c(d), 1324c, 1324d, and 1325(b). The Treasury Secretary must use that account to refund any appropriation that paid the Attorney General for certain enforcement expenses, including finding and removing criminal or illegal aliens, keeping a system to track those aliens, and building or repairing border structures in high-apprehension areas. Refunds must be made at least quarterly based on the Attorney General’s estimates, later adjusted if needed. For fiscal year 1996 and after, refunds follow the Attorney General’s budget estimates and changes require notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees under section 605 of Public Law 104–134. The Attorney General must send Congress an annual financial report on the account showing balances, receipts, withdrawals, and next-year projections.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1330

Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subchapter, the withholding or denial of clearance of or a lien upon any vessel or aircraft provided for in section 1221, 1224, 1253(c)(2), 1281, 1283, 1284, 1285, 1286, 1321, 1322, or 1323 of this title shall not be regarded as the sole and exclusive means or remedy for the enforcement of payments of any fine, penalty or expenses imposed or incurred under such sections, but, in the discretion of the Attorney General, the amount thereof may be recovered by civil suit, in the name of the United States, from any person made liable under any of such sections.
(b)(1)There is established in the general fund of the Treasury a separate account which shall be known as the “Immigration Enforcement Account”. Notwithstanding any other section of this subchapter, there shall be deposited as offsetting receipts into the Immigration Enforcement Account amounts described in paragraph (2) to remain available until expended.
(2)The amounts described in this paragraph are the following:
(A)The increase in penalties collected resulting from the amendments made by section 203(b) and 543(a) of the Immigration Act of 1990.
(B)Civil penalties collected under section 1229c(d), 1324c, 1324d, and 1325(b) of this title.
(3)(A)The Secretary of the Treasury shall refund out of the Immigration Enforcement Account to any appropriation the amount paid out of such appropriation for expenses incurred by the Attorney General for activities that enhance enforcement of provisions of this subchapter. Such activities include—
(i)the identification, investigation, apprehension, detention, and removal of criminal aliens;
(ii)the maintenance and updating of a system to identify and track criminal aliens, deportable aliens, inadmissible aliens, and aliens illegally entering the United States; and
(iii)for the repair, maintenance, or construction on the United States border, in areas experiencing high levels of apprehensions of illegal aliens, of structures to deter illegal entry into the United States.
(B)The amounts which are required to be refunded under subparagraph (A) shall be refunded at least quarterly on the basis of estimates made by the Attorney General of the expenses referred to in subparagraph (A). Proper adjustments shall be made in the amounts subsequently refunded under subparagraph (A) to the extent prior estimates were in excess of, or less than, the amount required to be refunded under subparagraph (A).
(C)The amounts required to be refunded from the Immigration Enforcement Account for fiscal year 1996 and thereafter shall be refunded in accordance with estimates made in the budget request of the Attorney General for those fiscal years. Any proposed changes in the amounts designated in such budget requests shall only be made after notification to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate in accordance with section 605 of Public Law 104–134.
(D)The Attorney General shall prepare and submit annually to the Congress statements of financial condition of the Immigration Enforcement Account, including beginning account balance, revenues, withdrawals, and ending account balance and projection for the ensuing fiscal year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 203(b) and 543(a) of the Immigration Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(A), are section 203(b) and 543(a) of Pub. L. 101–649. section 203(b) of the Act amended section 1281 of this title. section 543(a) of the Act amended section 1221, former 1227, 1229 (now 1224), 1284, 1285, 1286, 1287, 1321, 1322, and 1323 of this title. section 605 of Public Law 104–134, referred to in subsec. (b)(3)(C), is section 101[(a)] [title VI, § 605] of Pub. L. 104–134, title I, Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321, 1321–63, which is not classified to the Code.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–208, § 308(g)(4)(C), substituted “1224, 1253(c)(2)” for “1227, 1229, 1253”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–208, § 382(a), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, the increase in penalties collected resulting from the

Amendments

made by section 203(b), 543(a), and 544 of the Immigration Act of 1990 shall be credited to the appropriation— “(1) for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for activities that enhance

Enforcement

of provisions of this subchapter, including— “(A) the identification, investigation, and apprehension of criminal aliens, “(B) the implementation of the system described in section 1252(a)(3)(A) of this title, and “(C) for the repair, maintenance, or

Construction

on the United States border, in areas experiencing high levels of apprehensions of illegal aliens, of structures to deter illegal entry into the United States; and “(2) for the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the Department of Justice for the purpose of removing the backlogs in the preparation of transcripts of deportation proceedings conducted under section 1252 of this title.” 1994—Subsec. (b)(1)(C). Pub. L. 103–416 substituted “maintenance” for “maintainance”. 1990—Pub. L. 101–649 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by section 308(g)(4)(C) of Pub. L. 104–208 effective, with certain transitional provisions, on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 309 of Pub. L. 104–208, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title. Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 382(c), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–651, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 1356 of this title] shall apply to fines and penalties collected on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1996].”

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–416 effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–649, see section 219(dd) of Pub. L. 103–416, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1990 Amendment Pub. L. 101–649, title V, § 542(b), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 5057, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to fines and penalties collected on or after January 1, 1991.” Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and

Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,

Transfer of Functions

, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1330

Title 8, Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102