The move, which could expose unregistered migrants to criminal prosecution, represents a drastic escalation of the administration’s efforts to push millions of immigrants to leave on their own.

Undocumented immigrants age 14 or older must register and provide fingerprints or face a fine or even imprisonment under new Trump administration plans announced Tuesday. The big picture: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the escalation in the administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants that she vowed the administration would enforce.

But lawyers and immigrant advocates warned that the administration’s plan was on shaky legal ground and that some immigrants may be afraid to comply.

The Trump administration is creating a registry for all people who are in the U.S. illegally, and those who don’t self-report could face fines or prosecution.

Trump Administration wants all immigrants who do not have legal status in the country to provide personal information and fingerprints, including children. Immigrant rights group raise alarms.

Immigrants in the U.S. illegally who fail to register with the federal government could face significant fines, potential imprisonment or both, according to a directive issued by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.

The move applies to immigrants over the age of 13 who are in the U.S. unlawfully and who have not submitted fingerprints or registered with the federal government.