§1815 Inadmissible Alien Apprehension Fee

Summary

Any person caught between ports of entry who is found inadmissible must pay a fee when they are apprehended. For fiscal year 2025 the fee must be at least $5,000 or a higher amount the Secretary of Homeland Security sets by rule. For fiscal year 2026 and each year after, the fee is the prior year’s fee plus an increase based on the year‑over‑year change in the July Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, then rounded down to the next lowest multiple of $10. Each year, 50% of the fees collected go to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That 50% is put into the Detention and Removal Office Fee Account and ICE may keep and spend it without more approval. Any fees not credited to ICE are deposited into the general fund of the Treasury. The law also states that all fees are to be deposited into the Treasury general fund.