Trump Registry Plans: What We Know So Far

On February 24, 2025, the Trump administration announced it would require some undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government. The requirement is based on an obscure provision of decades-old law. The announcement raises many concerns given historical examples of registration requirements used to target marginalized communities. The announcement is causing fear across communities, and this fear is compounded by a lack of details from the government about what the requirement means and to whom it applies. The government has stated it will be publishing a new system for registration along with a formal document detailing who they expect to register. NILC will post an update here as soon as more information is available.

While we wait, here’s what we know so far (as of March 4, 2025):

What we know:

• The government has announced it will require some undocumented people to complete a “registration process.” This announcement came through publication of a government website that threatens criminal and civil penalties (including misdemeanor prosecution) for people who do not comply. The site says that registration will be required for certain undocumented immigrants 14 years and older who were not fingerprinted or registered when they applied to enter or lawfully entered the United States. Parents will be required to register for their children under the age of 14.  
• Some immigrants, both documented and undocumented, may already be considered to have registered under current law. The government acknowledges this on their website when it says that people in removal proceedings or people who have an employment authorization document (work permit) are already registered. There is a list of immigration documents recognized as either a form or evidence of registration in the current regulations. 
• There is no actual process set up yet for people to register. We are waiting for the government to launch that process and to publish more detailed instructions regarding who is supposed to register and how.  
• The government is making clear that people who register will be targeted for arrest, detention, and deportation. For example, the DHS Secretary has said her goal is for people who register to “relocate right back to their home country.”  
• The government is also threatening to charge people who don’t register with a misdemeanor criminal offense.  
• The government says that once registered and fingerprinted if required, immigrants over 18 must carry their “evidence of registration” and “keep in their possession at all times.” This appears to come from another misdemeanor criminal offense that penalizes an immigrant’s failure to carry evidence of registration, which the government has identified as one of the immigration-related criminal offenses they will prioritize for prosecution. 
• The government has encouraged people to create an online account with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “in preparation for the registration process.” This is not a legal requirement. Nobody is legally required to do this yet.

What we don’t know:

• We don’t know yet exactly who the government will say is required to register or who they will say is already registered. All the information the government has shared is here.
• We don’t know what the process will be for registering or how it will work.  
• We don’t know what the timeline or deadlines will be for the registration process. The government has pointed to old rules requiring people to complete registration requirements within 30 days of being in the United States, but we don’t know if there will be a 30-day deadline for the new registration process.  
• We don’t know what type of documentation people will need to carry with them to show compliance with the new registration requirement.

We encourage undocumented community members to consult with a trusted immigration attorney to understand the risks registration might present for them. The registration requirement raises legal concerns and there may be litigation challenging the program.  NILC will continue to provide updates about the status of the registration requirement here.  You can read more about the history of the registration process and underlying laws here.