The move stems from a 1940 law called the Alien Registration Act, and is part of a broader approach critics said will turn civil offenses into criminal ones.

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 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that any undocumented migrants above the age of 14 must provide the US government an address and their fingerprints. This is the latest move in the White House's effort to dramatically overhaul the US immigration system,