If any foreign national crosses over the U.S border by presenting a fake passport, enters with the help of a “coyote” or any other form of illegal trespassing into the U.S., they can be convicted of a crime and held responsible for violating the U.S. immigration laws.
Below are examples of the punishments that you can receive for this illegal action:
- For the first offense, a person can be imprisoned up to 6 months, fined or both.
- If a person tries to enter illegally the first time at a place where there are no immigration officers, they can be fined up to $250.
- The punishment gets more severe if an individual enters the country illegally more than once, after they have been deported or if they have an aggravated felony.
- An individual can be fined and imprisoned up to 10 years if they are removed for a conviction of three or more misdemeanors involving a crime against others, drugs or a felony other than an aggravated felony.
- One can be imprisoned up to 20 years for conviction of an aggravated felony.
- People who were removed or excluded from the U.S. for security reasons can be fined and imprisoned up to 10 years if caught re-entering the country
- Nonviolent offenders who were removed from the United States before their prison sentence is up will be fined, imprisoned for up to ten years, or both.
- Any individual who has been deported before a prison sentence was complete may be incarcerated for the remainder of their sentence.
By entering the United States legally, through all the proper channels and keeping a clean record, you can avoid these types of punishments. Talk to an immigration lawyer for help.
