Law Commons^™

Re-Thinking Illegal Entry And Re-Entry, Doug Keller

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

This Article traces the history of two federal immigration crimes that have long supplemented the civil immigration system and now make up nearly half of all federal prosecutions: illegal entry and illegal re-entry. Little has been previously written about the historical lineage of either crime, despite the supporting role each has played in enforcing the nation’s civil immigration laws, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border. This Article takes a critical look at the enforcement of each crime—-from when they were initially conceived of as a way to deter illegal immigration, then as a way to target dangerous aliens, and most recently …