(The Epoch Times)—The Trump administration is suing an illegal immigrant to collect close to $1 million in fines for remaining in the country after a deportation order was issued against her.
The federal government alleges that Marta Alicia Ramirez Veliz of Chesterfield County, Virginia, failed to leave the United States after an appeals board ruled against her in 2022. The government said that as of April 2025, Veliz owed $941,114 in fines plus interest.
Veliz is being sued under a federal law that has been on the books since 1996 that allows civil penalties for illegal immigrants who deliberately fail to leave the country as ordered. In President Donald Trump’s first term, the federal government began assessing fines under the long-unenforced law but did not file lawsuits to collect them. President Joe Biden’s administration stopped assessing fines altogether.
The Trump administration revived the fine policy after the president issued Executive Order 14159 in January 2025, which authorized immigration officials to reinstitute the practice of assessing financial penalties under the law. In June 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new regulations making it easier to issue fines.
DHS said that as of June 2025 it had sent more than 9,000 fine notices to illegal immigrants for a total of nearly $3 billion.
The legal complaint filed against Veliz on Jan. 23 in federal district court in Richmond, Virginia, states the government is suing “to collect a civil penalty imposed by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Veliz for willfully failing or refusing to leave the United States pursuant to a final order of removal.”
An immigration judge issued a removal order against Veliz in July 2019, which became final after the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed her appeal in September 2022. The civil penalty for remaining in the United States after a removal order has become final is $998 for each day the person subject to the order remains in the country, according to the complaint.
The Trump administration encourages illegal immigrants to “self-deport,” meaning they voluntarily leave the United States on their own.
DHS said last year that civil fines or penalties for illegal immigrants would be forgiven for those who self-deport through the CPB Home App, which is available for smartphones.
“By self-deporting, illegal aliens take control of their departure and may preserve the opportunity to come back to the U.S. the right and legal way in the future,” the agency said in a statement.
The government served a notice of intention to fine on Veliz in April 2025, but she did not appeal the notice, and a final order imposing the penalty took effect in June 2025, the complaint said.
The complaint does not disclose personally identifying information for Veliz such as nationality, age, or address. Veliz does not appear to have legal representation.
Efforts by The Epoch Times to contact her were unsuccessful.
A group called Public Justice filed a proposed class action lawsuit in November 2025 challenging the imposition of the fines on illegal immigrants who fail to leave the country after being ordered to do so.
In a class action, a plaintiff sues on behalf of a larger group of people who claim to have suffered the same injury at the hands of a defendant. Federal and state rules govern whether a class action gets certified and is allowed to proceed.
The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Massachusetts.
The plaintiffs are “hardworking individuals facing significant personal hardships who, like millions in this country, have been navigating the U.S. immigration system.” ICE has fined them “exorbitantly,” sending notices advising them they owe large fines that run from hundreds of thousands of dollars to approximately $1.8 million, the legal complaint said.
The large fines were imposed without the government considering whether they were appropriate in an individual case, and under regulations that were issued without the legally required public input, the complaint said.
The complaint said the fines will drive the plaintiffs and thousands of other people residing in the United States into “ruinous debt, in violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.”
The Administrative Procedure Act is a 1946 federal statute that governs administrative law procedures for federal executive departments and independent agencies. The late Sen. Pat McCarran (D-Nev.) said the law was “a bill of rights for the hundreds of thousands of Americans whose affairs are controlled or regulated in one way or another by agencies of the federal government.”
On Jan. 26, the Veliz lawsuit was assigned to U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.