South Florida Woman Hit With $1.82 Million ICE Fine After 20-Year Stay

South Florida woman Maria faces a $1.82 million civil penalty after ICE calculated 3 U.S. citizen children and 20 years in Florida into a surreal immigration standoff. Her plea for mercy—'I can't sleep'—clashes with a daily $500 fine from a decades-old order.
Two decades after missing her immigration hearing, Maria’s attorney calls the penalty 'absolutely nuts,' as the immigration fine process highlights the extreme cost of overstaying a removal order. Her story spotlights U.S. immigration policy, with a mother clutching hope—and paperwork—in Miami.