Sponsors (14)
The bill trades stronger penalties and increased revenue to deter overstays and repeat unlawful entry against the risk of criminalizing minor or inadvertent overstays, imposing financial hardship on low‑income nonimmigrants, and straining prosecutorial and detention resources.
Nonimmigrant visitors and border enforcement agencies: clearer and stronger criminal penalties for 10-day aggregate overstays and repeat violations make unlawful short-term stays and repeat illegal entries more deterred, which may reduce the number of overstays and improve overall immigration compliance.
Immigration enforcement and government budgets: higher civil penalties ($500–$1,000 per violation) increase revenue collected from violators that could be used to fund DHS enforcement or processing costs.
Nonimmigrant visitors (including students, tourists, and temporary workers): brief or inadvertent 10‑day aggregate overstays can trigger criminal charges and up to six months' jail for a first offense, increasing risk of arrest and loss of liberty for minor compliance lapses.
Low-income travelers and temporary visa holders: increased civil fines ($500–$1,000 per violation) impose significant financial burdens on people who overstay inadvertently, potentially creating hardship or preventing return visits.
Immigrants who commit repeated or related minor infractions: doubling or escalating penalties quickly increases financial burdens and raises the risk of deportation or having a criminal record for relatively minor violations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Raises civil penalties for unlawful entry and creates civil and criminal penalties for nonimmigrant visa overstays of an aggregate 10 days, with higher penalties for repeat offenders.
Increases penalties for certain unlawful entries and creates new civil and criminal penalties for nonimmigrant visa overstays. The bill raises the civil penalty range for unlawful entry and treats an aggregate 10-day overstay by a nonimmigrant as a violation that can trigger fines and criminal exposure, with steeper punishments for repeat offenders.
Official title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand penalties for illegal entry and presence.
Introduced June 5, 2025 by Nathaniel Moran · Last progress June 5, 2025