• Illegal immigration to the United States occurs when foreign nationals break U.S. immigration laws by illegally entering or residing in the country. Federal laws regarding illegal immigration stipulate that noncitizens in the U.S. must have the legal documentation and go through the lawful process to reside there.
  
  

The Law and Illegal Immigration

• According to U.S. immigration laws, illegal entrance into the United States is considered to be a misdemeanor civil offense. After the first attempt at illegal entry, a second attempt is deemed a felony. It is also a criminal offense to help illegal aliens in their attempts to enter the country fraudulently. Illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. are also in violation of civil laws. Illegal immigration continues to be a hot button topic, with the number of illegal immigrants significantly outnumbering the number of legal immigrants in the country as of 2010. People who overstay a U.S. government-issued visa and employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants are also in violation of U.S. immigration laws.
  
  

Illegal Immigrants

• Federal immigration laws classify an illegal immigrant based on three factors: violating provisions of legal admission into the country; entering the U.S. without proper documentation, authorization or documentation; and overstaying the authorized period of time of legal entry. People who gain entry into the U.S. without inspection are considered to be evading immigration inspectors and Border Patrol and are classified as border-crossing card violators. Travelers or tourists to the U.S. who overstay their time and remain in the country after the expiration of their authorized admission are considered to have a visa overstay. Most people who have a visa overstay are usually those who entered the U.S. on a visitors or tourist visa, a student visa or a business visa.
  
  

Penalties

• Federal immigration laws stipulate that it is illegal to bring in or harbor illegal immigrants into the U.S., and each alien can be fined $3,000. Under the U.S. Code, any individual who knowingly engages in aiding or abetting any alien in an attempt to permit, procure or allow such a person entry into the U.S. can be fined under Title 18 and face up to 10 years' imprisonment. It is illegal to knowingly forge documents or violate identity theft laws by presenting fraudulent documents to immigration officials upon entry into the U.S.. Under the U.S. Code, such a violation may result in a fine of up to $2,000 for each fraudulent document. It is also unlawful for an individual or entity to knowingly refer for a fee, recruit or hire an illegal immigrant in the U.S. If this is found to be done for financial gain or for commercial benefits, the offender can face imprisonment of up to 10 years or be required to pay a fine, or both.