Stop Illegal Reentry Act

Senate Bill

S. 271

119th Congress

Stop Illegal Reentry Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 28, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Ted Cruz

Senator

Republican

TX

Cosponsors

9

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Immigration

Summary

This bill increases criminal penalties for illegal reentry after removal. General reentry rises from 2 to 5 years maximum imprisonment. Three or more reentries carries up to 10 years. Those with aggravated felony convictions face a 5-year minimum and up to 20 years.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

SponsorTed Cruz (R-TX)

Introduced1/28/2025

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Stop Illegal Reentry Act

This bill increases criminal penalties for illegal reentry after removal. General reentry rises from 2 to 5 years maximum imprisonment. Three or more reentries carries up to 10 years. Those with aggravated felony convictions face a 5-year minimum and up to 20

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill increases criminal penalties for illegal reentry after removal. General reentry rises from 2 to 5 years maximum imprisonment. Three or more reentries carries up to 10 years. Those with aggravated felony convictions face a 5-year minimum and up to 20 years.

Bill Number: 271
Sponsor: Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Introduced: 1/28/2025
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Policy Area: Immigration

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Stop Illegal Reentry Act
Bill Number: 271
Sponsor: Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 1/28/2025
Summary: This bill increases criminal penalties for illegal reentry after removal. General reentry rises from 2 to 5 years maximum imprisonment. Three or more reentries carries up to 10 years. Those with aggravated felony convictions face a 5-year minimum and up to 20 years.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill increases criminal penalties for illegal reentry after removal. General reentry rises from 2 to 5 years maximum imprisonment. Three or more reentries carries up to 10 years. Those with aggravated felony convictions face a 5-year minimum and up to 20 years.

Last updated: 1/5/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Stop Illegal Reentry ActThis bill increases criminal penalties for certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who illegally reenter the United States after removal or exclusion.Generally, an individual who had been denied entry into or removed from the United States and who later enters or attempts to enter the United States without prior approval from the Department of Homeland Security shall be fined, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. Current law requires a fine, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, for such an individual.An individual who had been denied entry or removed three or more times and who later enters or attempts to enter the United States shall be fined, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both.An individual who was convicted of an aggravated felony or convicted at least two times before removal or departure and who subsequently enters or tries to enter the United States shall be imprisoned at least 5 years and for up to 20 years and may also be fined. Currently, there is no minimum term of imprisonment for an individual who reenters after a conviction for an aggravated felony, and there are no criminal penalties for a reentering individual who had been convicted at least two times (other than the penalties for illegal reentry generally).

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Increases maximum penalty for illegal reentry from 2 to 5 years
Creates 10-year maximum for three or more reentries
Establishes 5-year minimum for aggravated felony convictions
Adds new penalties for those convicted twice before removal
Significantly strengthens immigration enforcement penalties

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Individuals who illegally reenter the U.S. after deportation would face significantly longer prison sentences. Those with criminal records would face mandatory minimums, creating stronger deterrents for repeat illegal entry.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Immigration

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

271, 119th Congress (2025). "Stop Illegal Reentry Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-271

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