Stop Illegal Reentry Act

Higher penalties for noncitizens who reenter

This bill would make it a crime for a noncitizen to return after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed. The baseline penalty would be a fine and up to 5 years in prison. The Secretary of Homeland Security could avoid that penalty by expressly allowing reapplication before reembarkation or admission from contiguous territory. Higher penalties — fines and up to 10 years in prison — would apply for certain past convictions, multiple prior removals or denials, or specified removal types followed by reentry without permission. A mandatory minimum prison term of 5 to 20 years would apply to people with prior aggravated-felony convictions or two prior illegal-reentry convictions. The bill would also count agreements that let someone stipulate to removal during or around a criminal trial as a "removal." If enacted, these changes would take effect upon enactment.