The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a significant alert today, outlining steps to curb financial outflows related to illegal immigration.

According to Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley, money services businesses should be vigilant in identifying suspicious transactions involving undocumented immigrants who pose threats to national security and public safety. This new directive is part of Treasury’s ongoing effort to prevent the exploitation of the U.S. financial system by individuals located here seeking to move funds illicitly abroad.

The alert specifically targets remittances sent overseas, warning that transfers derived from unlawful employment or known to be illicit will fall under scrutiny. Transactions over $2,000 may now trigger mandatory suspicious activity reports if they involve these types of illegal immigrants moving money out of the country.

FinCEN stated this measure is consistent with broader efforts aimed at stopping financial support being sent back to countries where undocumented immigrants originate and facilitating their removal from the United States.