HR 3486: Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025

HR 3486 in plain English: This bill increases criminal penalties for non-U.S. nationals who illegally enter the United States and later commit crimes or attempt to reenter. It establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences and raises maximum sentences across several categories of illegal entry and reentry offenses. The changes affect people who enter illegally and commit felonies, repeat illegal entrants, and those previously removed from the country.

Stated purpose

This bill aims to increase criminal penalties for non-U.S. nationals who illegally enter the United States and later commit a felony, and for those who illegally reenter the country after having been removed or denied entry.

Key points

• Sets a mandatory minimum 5-year prison term, up to life, for illegal entrants later convicted of a felony
• Raises the maximum sentence for repeated improper entry from 2 years to 5 years
• Raises the maximum sentence for reentering after removal from 2 years to 10 years
• Raises the maximum sentence to 15 years if the individual had 3 or more misdemeanor convictions before removal
• Sets a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term, up to life, for those convicted of a felony before removal who later reenter

Arguments supporters make

• Stronger penalties deter repeat illegal entry and protect communities from individuals who have already been removed and committed crimes.
• Increasing mandatory minimums ensures that people who repeatedly violate immigration law or commit serious crimes after entering illegally face consequences that match the severity of their actions.
• Current penalties are too low to discourage illegal reentry, and raising them closes a gap that repeat offenders exploit.

Arguments opponents make

• Mandatory minimum sentences remove judges' ability to consider individual circumstances, which can lead to disproportionately harsh outcomes in cases that do not warrant them.
• Significantly longer prison terms for immigration offenses will increase costs to taxpayers and strain an already overburdened federal prison and court system.
• Critics argue the bill could sweep in people fleeing persecution or danger who enter irregularly out of desperation, punishing vulnerability rather than genuine criminal threat.

Tradeoffs

Harsher sentences may deter illegal reentry and incapacitate repeat offenders longer, but they also increase incarceration costs and reduce judicial flexibility, potentially treating very different cases the same way.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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