ILLEGAL REENTRY OFFENSES

UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION

April 2015
ILLEGAL REENTRY OFFENSES

Patti B. Saris

Chair

Charles R. Breyer

Vice Chair

Dabney L. Friedrich

Commissioner

Rachel E. Barkow

Commissioner

William H. Pryor, Jr.

Commissioner

Jonathan J. Wroblewski

(Ex Officio)
ILLEGAL REENTRY OFFENSES

Table of Contents

I. RELEVANT STATUTORY AND GUIDELINE PROVISIONS ..................................... 2

A. The Illegal Reentry Statute — 8 U.S.C. § 1326 ............................................ 2

B. The “Aggravated Felony” Statute — 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)....................... 4

C. The Illegal Reentry Guideline — USSG §2L1.2........................................... 5

D. The “Fast Track” Program............................................................................. 7

II. DATA REGARDING ILLEGAL REENTRY CASES .................................................. 8

A. General Data About Illegal Reentry Cases.................................................... 8

B. Guideline Enhancements Under USSG §2L1.2(b)...................................... 11

III. SPECIAL CODING PROJECT OF ILLEGAL REENTRY CASES ............................. 13

A. Methodology................................................................................................ 13

B. Prior Deportations........................................................................................ 14

C. Offenders’ Criminal Histories..................................................................... 16

D. Offender Characteristics and Circumstances Related to Their Offenses ... 23

IV. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 27
ILLEGAL REENTRY OFFENSES

This report analyzes data collected by the United States Sentencing Commission1 concerning

cases in which offenders are sentenced under USSG §2L1.2 — commonly called “illegal reentry”

cases.

2 Such cases are a significant portion of all federal cases in which offenders are sentenced 

under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. In fiscal year 2013, for instance, illegal reentry 

cases constituted 26 percent of all such cases. As part of its ongoing review of the guidelines,

including the immigration guidelines,3 the Commission examined illegal reentry cases from fiscal 

year 2013, including offenders’ criminal histories, number of prior deportations, and personal 

characteristics. 

Part I of this report summarizes the relevant statutory and guideline provisions. Part II 

provides general information about illegal reentry cases based on the Commission’s annual 

datafiles. Part III presents the findings of the Commission’s in-depth analysis of a representative 

sample of illegal reentry cases. Part IV presents key findings.

Among the key findings from analysis of fiscal year 2013 data: (1) the average sentence for 

illegal reentry offenders was 18 months; (2) all but two of the 18,498 illegal reentry offenders —

including the 40 percent with the most serious criminal histories triggering a statutory maximum 

penalty of 20 years under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) — were sentenced at or below the ten-year 

statutory maximum under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) for offenders with less serious criminal histories 

(i.e., those without “aggravated felony” convictions); (3) the rate of within-guideline range

sentences was significantly lower among offenders who received 16-level enhancements pursuant to 

§2L1.2(b)(1)(A) for predicate convictions (31.3%), as compared to the within-range rate for those 

who received no enhancements under §2L1.2(b) (92.7%); (4) significant differences in the rates of 

application of the various enhancements in §2L1.2(b) appeared among the districts where most 

1

 The United States Sentencing Commission (“Commission”) is an independent agency in the judicial branch of 

government. Established by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, its principal purposes are (1) to establish sentencing 

policies and practices for the federal courts, including guidelines regarding the appropriate form and severity of 

punishment for offenders convicted of federal crimes; (2) to advise and assist Congress, the federal judiciary, and the 

executive branch in the development of effective and efficient crime policy; and (3) to collect, analyze, research, and 

distribute a broad array of information on federal crime and sentencing issues. See 28 U.S.C. § 995(a)(14), (15) and 

(20).

2

 In addition to illegal reentry in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, offenses punishable under this guideline include three 

related offenses: 8 U.S.C. § 1185(a)(1) (aliens departing from or entering the United States contrary to regulation), 8 

U.S.C. § 1253 (failure to depart), and 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a) (second or subsequent offense of improper entry by alien). Of 

all offenses punished under §2L1.2 during fiscal year 2013, 95 percent were illegal reentry offenses prosecuted under 8 

U.S.C. § 1326. Throughout this Report, “illegal reentry” will be used as shorthand to refer collectively to all of the 

related offenses punished under §2L1.2.

3

 One of the Commission’s policy priorities during the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2015 is “Study of the 

guidelines applicable to immigration offenses and related criminal history rules, and consideration of any amendments 

to such guidelines that may be appropriate in light of the information obtained from such study.” 79 Fed. Reg. 49378-

01, 49379 (Aug. 20, 2014). 

1

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

illegal reentry offenders were prosecuted; (5) the average illegal reentry offender was deported 3.2 

times before his instant illegal reentry prosecution, and over one-third (38.1%) were previously 

deported after a prior illegal entry or illegal reentry conviction; (6) 61.9 percent of offenders were 

convicted of at least one criminal offense after illegally reentering the United States; (7) 4.7 percent 

of illegal reentry offenders had no prior convictions and not more than one prior deportation before 

their instant illegal reentry prosecutions; and (8) most illegal reentry offenders were apprehended by 

immigration officials at or near the border. 

In 2013, there were approximately 11 million non-citizens illegally present in the United 

States, and the federal government conducted 368,644 deportations.4 The information contained in 

this report does not address the larger group of non-citizens illegally present in the United States 

and, instead, solely concerns the 18,498 illegal reentry offenders sentenced under §2L1.2 of the 

United States Sentencing Guidelines in fiscal year 2013. Therefore, the information should not be 

interpreted as representative of the characteristics of illegal immigrants generally.

I. RELEVANT STATUTORY AND GUIDELINE PROVISIONS

A. The Illegal Reentry Statute — 8 U.S.C. § 1326

The offense of illegal reentry is set forth in 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Subsection (a) provides that 

any alien who “enters, attempts to enter, or is at any time found in the United States” without 

permission of the Attorney General, after previously having been deported from the United States, 

faces imprisonment for up to two years upon conviction. If the defendant was previously deported

from the United States after sustaining three or more misdemeanor convictions “involving drugs, 

crimes against the person, or both,” or a conviction for a felony offense (other than an “aggravated 

felony” as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)), the statutory maximum penalty increases to 10 years 

under section 1326(b)(1). Where the deportation occurred after an “aggravated felony” conviction, 

section 1326(b)(2) provides for a 20-year statutory maximum penalty. A conviction for any type of 

offense that occurred after a defendant was last deported from the United States (and subsequently 

illegally reentered) has no additional bearing on the defendant’s statutory penalty range under 

section 1326.

5

4 See Pew Research Center, 5 Facts About Illegal Immigration in the United States, http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2014/11/18/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/ (last accessed on April 2, 2015); Bureau of Immigration 

and Customs Enforcement, News Release: ICE Announces FY 2013 Removal Numbers, 

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-announces-fy-2013-removal-numbers (Dec. 19, 2013).

5

 See, e.g., United States v. Rojas-Luna, 522 F.3d 502, 504 (5th Cir. 2008) (“As noted above, the statute under which 

Rojas-Luna was convicted, 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), provides for a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment for illegal 

reentry. However, pursuant to § 1326(b)(2), the maximum penalty is increased to twenty years in prison for an alien 

whose prior removal ‘was subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony . . . . ’ At his 

rearraignment, Rojas-Luna pleaded guilty to reentering the country after having been removed in 1988. Because he was 

not convicted of aggravated assault until 2003, his 1988 removal, although sufficient to convict him of violating 

§ 1326(a), could not form the basis of the enhancement in § 1326(b)(2), because it was not ‘subsequent to’ his 

conviction.”) (citations omitted).

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Illegal Reentry Offenses

Table 1

Relevant Illegal Reentry Statutory Penalties

Statutory Provision Criminal History Requirement Maximum Penalty

8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) No significant criminal history 2 years

8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1)

“whose removal was subsequent to a 

conviction for commission of three or 

more misdemeanors involving drugs, 

crimes against the person, or both, or a 

felony (other than an aggravated 

felony)”

10 years

8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2)

“whose removal was subsequent to a 

conviction for commission of an 

aggravated felony”

20 years

The original version of section 1326 was enacted in 1952 as part of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act. It provided for a statutory maximum of two years of imprisonment for the crime of 

illegal reentry but did not provide for enhanced statutory maximums for aliens who were convicted 

of predicate offenses before being deported.

6

 The penalty scheme remained unaltered for more than 

35 years, until a 1988 amendment provided for an enhanced penalty of up to five years of

imprisonment for an alien who had been deported after a felony conviction and up to 15 years for an 

alien who had been deported after an “aggravated felony” conviction.7 Congress increased these 

maximum penalties again in 1994, to 10 and 20 years, respectively, where they remain today, and 

also applied the 10-year maximum to those convicted of three or more misdemeanors “involving 

drugs, crimes against the person, or both” prior to deportation.8

6 Act of June 27, 1952, title II, ch. 8, § 276, 66 Stat. 163, 229 (1952).

7

 Pub. L. No. 100-690, title VII, § 7345(a), 102 Stat. 4181, 4471 (1988).

8

 Pub. L. No. 103-322, title XIII, § 130001, 108 Stat. 1796, 2023 (1994). The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death 

Penalty Act of 1996 added a provision applying the enhanced 10-year maximum to those who had been deported under 

terrorism-related provisions of the immigration code, even if they had been convicted of no criminal offense. See Pub. 

L. No. 104-132, title IV, §§ 401(c); 438(b); 441(a), 110 Stat. 1214, 1267, 1276, 1279 (1996). The Illegal Immigration 

Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 similarly extended the 10-year maximum to aliens who had been 

deported prior to completing a term of imprisonment. Pub. L. No. 104-208, div. C, title III, § 305(b), 110 Stat. 3009

(1996). The 1996 statutes also contained a number of less substantive amendments, such as updating the statute’s 

language to refer to “removal” as well as “deportation” and “exclusion.” For purposes of simplicity, in this report all 

types of removal or exclusion of aliens will be referred to as “deportations.”

3

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

A related offense is illegal entry, which is found in 8 U.S.C. § 1325.9 Commission of a first

illegal entry offense is a petty misdemeanor punishable by no more than six months of 

incarceration. A second or subsequent illegal entry offense is a felony and, upon conviction, a 

defendant may be sentenced to up to two years of imprisonment. The sentencing guidelines do not 

apply to petty misdemeanor convictions under section 1325 but do apply to felony convictions

under section 1325.10

B. The “Aggravated Felony” Statute — 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43) 

As noted above, the maximum term of imprisonment for illegal reentry increases from two 

to 20 years if the defendant was previously deported after a conviction for an “aggravated felony.” 

In addition to its relevance in the criminal context, the definition of aggravated felony also 

determines substantive and procedural rights for non-citizens regarding deportation from the United 

States.11 

The first definition of “aggravated felony” was enacted in 1988, simultaneously with the 

amendment to section 1326(b) increasing sentences for illegal reentry offenders with prior felony or 

aggravated felony convictions.12 The original definition included only murder, “drug trafficking”

crimes as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), and illicit trafficking in firearms or destructive devices as 

defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921.13 Since 1988, Congress has repeatedly expanded the definition to 

include several other crimes.

14 

9 Under section 1325, it is unlawful for any alien to: (1) enter or attempt to enter the United States at any time or place 

other than as designated by immigration officers; (2) elude examination or inspection by immigration officers; or (3) 

attempt to enter or obtain entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful 

concealment of a material fact. 8 U.S.C. § 1325. Although related to section 1326, section 1325 is not a lesser-included 

offense. See United States v. Flores-Peraza, 58 F.3d 164, 167-68 (5th Cir. 1995).

10 See USSG §1B1.9 (“The sentencing guidelines do not apply to any count of conviction that is a Class B or C 

misdemeanor or an infraction.”).

11 See Moncrieffe v. Holder, 133 S.Ct. 1678, 1682 (2013) (“[I]f a noncitizen has been convicted of [an] . . . ‘aggravated 

felon[y],’ then he is not only deportable, [8 U.S.C.] § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii), but also ineligible for [various] discretionary 

forms of relief [from deportation]. See §§ 1158(b)(2)(A)(ii), (B)(i); §§ 1229b(a)(3), (b)(1)(C).”). 

12 See supra note 7.

13 Pub. L. No. 100-690, title VII, § 7342, 102 Stat. 4181, 4469-70 (1988).

14 See, e.g., Pub. L. No. 101-649, § 501, 104 Stat. 4978, 5048 (1990) (adding money laundering, all drug trafficking 

offenses, and crimes of violence, and eliminating a requirement that the crime have been committed within the United 

States); Pub. L. No. 103-416, § 222, 108 Stat. 4305, 4320-22 (1994) (significantly expanding the definition); AntiTerrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-132, § 440(e), 110 Stat. 1214, 1277 (1996) 

(substantially expanding the definition to near its current form); Pub. L. No. 104-208, div. C, title III, § 321, 110 Stat. 

3009-627-28 (1996) (reducing the triggering fraud and tax evasion amounts to $10,000 from $100,000, reducing the 

minimum requirement sentence to trigger some subsections from five to one years, and making other changes); Pub. L. 

No. 108-193, § 4, 117 Stat. 2875, 2879 (2003) (adding human trafficking offenses).

4

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Today, section 1101(a)(43) of title 8 defines “aggravated felony” in 21 subsections. 

Covered offenses range from murder, to failing to protect the identity of intelligence agents, to tax 

evasion over $10,000, to failure to appear in court to answer for a felony for which a sentence of 

two or more years may be imposed.15 Among the many offenses listed as aggravated felonies, 

subsection (f) also includes “a crime of violence (as defined in section 16 of Title 18, but not 

including a purely political offense) for which the term of imprisonment [is] at least one year.”16

C. The Illegal Reentry Guideline — USSG §2L1.2

In its current form, §2L1.2 provides as follows:

§2L1.2. Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States

(a) Base Offense Level: 8

(b) Specific Offense Characteristic

(1) Apply the Greatest:

If the defendant previously was deported, or unlawfully remained in the 

United States, after—

(A) a conviction for a felony that is (i) a drug trafficking offense for 

which the sentence imposed exceeded 13 months; (ii) a crime of 

violence; (iii) a firearms offense; (iv) a child pornography offense; 

(v) a national security or terrorism offense; (vi) a human trafficking 

offense; or (vii) an alien smuggling offense, increase by 16 levels if 

the conviction receives criminal history points under Chapter Four 

or by 12 levels if the conviction does not receive criminal history 

points;

(B) a conviction for a felony drug trafficking offense for which the 

sentence imposed was 13 months or less, increase by 12 levels if the 

conviction receives criminal history points under Chapter Four or 

by 8 levels if the conviction does not receive criminal history points;

(C) a conviction for an aggravated felony, increase by 8 levels;

(D) a conviction for any other felony, increase by 4 levels; or

(E) three or more convictions for misdemeanors that are crimes of 

violence or drug trafficking offenses, increase by 4 levels.

15 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(A), (L), (M), & (T).

16 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F).

5

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

The guideline provides a base offense level of 8, which has remained unchanged since 

January 1988. The guideline also contains a specific offense characteristic (“SOC”) that provides

for graduated enhancements based on a defendant’s pre-deportation criminal history. Under 

§2L1.2(b)(1)(A), 16 levels are added if a defendant previously was deported following a conviction 

“for a felony that is (i) a drug trafficking offense for which the sentence imposed exceeded 13 

months; (ii) a crime of violence; (iii) a firearms offense; (iv) a child pornography offense; (v) a 

national security or terrorism offense; (vi) a human trafficking offense; or (vii) an alien smuggling 

offense.” That enhancement decreases to 12 levels if the prior conviction does not receive criminal 

history points under Chapter Four of the Guidelines Manual because the age of the prior conviction 

did not fall within the time periods set forth in USSG §4A1.2(e). Where the prior conviction was 

for a felony drug trafficking offense for which the sentence imposed was 13 months or less, 12 

levels are added under §2L1.2(b)(1)(B), or 8 levels where that prior conviction does not receive 

criminal history points because of the age of the conviction. A prior aggravated felony conviction

(other than one that also qualifies for a 12- or 16-level enhancement) results in an 8-level increase

under §2L1.2(b)(1)(C). All other prior felony convictions, or three or more convictions for 

misdemeanor crimes against the person or drug trafficking offenses, result in a 4-level increase

under §2L1.2(b)(1)(D) & (E). 

A defendant may receive only a single enhancement from §2L1.2(b) — whichever is the 

highest applicable to his criminal record. For each of these possible enhancements, the sentencing 

court is instructed to consider only those convictions that occurred prior to the defendant’s most 

recent deportation from the United States. Just as under section 1326, convictions that occurred 

since the defendant last illegally reentered the United States (that is, after the last prior deportation)

have no bearing on the defendant’s offense level under §2L1.2. Such post-deportation convictions 

may, however, receive criminal history points under §4A1.1.

To understand the potential impact of the enhancements set forth in §2L1.2(b), it is helpful 

to consider the case of a defendant who has been convicted of illegal reentry and is situated at 

Criminal History Category (“CHC”) III in the sentencing table (the most common CHC for illegal 

reentry offenders, as discussed infra). If such a defendant has no prior convictions triggering a 

§2L1.2(b) enhancement, he will have a base offense level of 8 under §2L1.2(a), which may be 

further reduced to 6 if he receives credit for acceptance of responsibility pursuant to §3E1.1. The 

guideline range for offense level 6, at CHC III, is 2-8 months.17 Each additional increase of 2 

offense levels will increase the sentencing range by approximately 25 percent. If the defendant has 

a felony conviction resulting in the application of the 4-level enhancement, he will have an offense 

level 10 with credit for acceptance of responsibility; at CHC III, the corresponding guideline range 

is 10-16 months. If the defendant receives the 8-level increase for a prior aggravated felony, he will 

have an offense level of 13 after credit for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in a guideline

range of 18-24 months. If a defendant receives the 12-level enhancement, he will have an offense 

level 17 after credit for acceptance of responsibility, with a guideline range of 30-37 months. 

17 Because this range is in Zone B of the Sentencing Table, the defendant legally would be eligible for a probationary 

sentence, with certain restrictions, under §5B1.1(a). As a practical matter, however, illegal immigrants who have 

previously been deported and who illegally reentered the United States are very unlikely to receive a sentence of 

probation because they almost certainly will again be deported. 

6

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Finally, a defendant who receives the 16-level enhancement and a reduction for acceptance of 

responsibility will be at offense level 21, with a range of 46-57 months. Thus, a CHC III defendant 

who receives the 16-level enhancement for a predicate conviction will face a guideline range with a 

minimum term of imprisonment 23 times higher than the minimum applicable to a CHC III

defendant with no predicate convictions.

D. The “Fast Track” Program

Another major factor affecting sentencing under §2L1.2 is the early disposition program 

(“EDP” or “fast track” program) used by the Department of Justice and the courts in sentencing 

many illegal reentry offenders. Such programs began in the 1990s in high-volume southwestern 

border districts as a means of efficiently processing the large number of immigration offenders 

encountered there; “[t]hey are based on the premise that a defendant who promptly agrees to 

participate in such a program saves the government significant and scarce resources that can be used 

to prosecute other defendants,” and, accordingly, should be granted additional reductions at 

sentencing beyond the ordinary reduction for acceptance of responsibility.18 The 2003 PROTECT 

Act established a statutory basis for EDP departures19 and directed the Commission to incorporate 

EDP departures into the guidelines, which the Commission did by adopting the policy statement at 

§5K3.1, providing for a downward departure of up to 4 levels pursuant to a fast track program. 

Subsequently, districts outside the southwestern border region were made eligible to participate in 

the fast track program at their discretion, and, in 2012, the Department of Justice mandated that all 

offenders, regardless of district, receive the benefit of EDP if otherwise eligible.20 

According to current DOJ guidance, fast track eligibility requires that an illegal reentry 

defendant enter a guilty plea within 30 days of being taken into custody, agree to a factual basis 

accurately describing his conduct, and waive arguments for a variance from the applicable guideline 

range (along with a waiver of appellate and certain other rights). In return, the government will 

move for a downward departure of four levels, except for defendants with particularly serious 

criminal histories, who may receive only a 2-level departure. United States Attorneys retain 

discretion to exclude a defendant from the fast track program based on aggravating factors such as 

prior criminal or immigration history, other ongoing criminal investigations or prosecutions 

involving the defendant, and the defendant’s conduct at arrest.21 As noted below (at Figure 5), 28.9 

percent of illegal reentry offenders in fiscal year 2013 received an EDP departure, resulting in an 

18 See Mem. from Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole to U.S. Attorneys (Jan. 31, 2012) (“Cole Memorandum”), 

available at http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/dag/legacy/2012/01/31/fast-track-program.pdf.

19 Pub. L. No. 108-21, 117 Stat. 650 (Apr. 30, 2003).

20 See Cole Memorandum, supra note 18.

21 Id.

7

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

average sentence reduction of 39.9 percent from the otherwise applicable range. 

II. DATA REGARDING ILLEGAL REENTRY CASES

A. General Data About Illegal Reentry Cases

There were 80,035 federal criminal cases reported to the Commission during fiscal year 

2013. Of those cases, 71,004 had sufficient documentation for purposes of the analyses in this 

report.

22 Of the 71,004, 22,209 (31.3%) involved immigration offenses.23 Among those 

immigration cases, 18,498 (83.3%) were illegal reentry cases, which constituted 26 percent of all 

federal criminal cases reported to the Commission.

The number of illegal reentry cases increased from 2009 to 2013, from 16,921 cases in fiscal 

year 2009, to 18,498 

cases in fiscal year 

2013, an increase of 9.3 

percent. 

The top five 

districts in terms of 

number of illegal 

reentry cases in fiscal 

year 2013 all were 

located along the 

southwestern border of 

the United States: 

Southern Texas 

(N=3,853), Western 

Texas (N=3,200), New 

Mexico (N=2,837), 

Arizona (N=2,387), 

and Southern 

California (N=1,460). 

22 Of the 9,031 cases with insufficient documentation, 2,204 cases involved convictions under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1253 (failure 

to depart), 1325 (illegal entry), or 1326 (illegal reentry). In the remaining 6,827 cases, the offenses of conviction were 

not ones referenced to the illegal reentry guideline, §2L1.2. See generally USSG App. A. Because the sentencing

documentation in those 2,204 cases was incomplete, the Commission was not able to determine the courts’ guideline 

applications, and, therefore, those cases were excluded from the analyses contained in this report.

23 Immigration cases include cases with complete guideline application information in which offenders were sentenced 

under §§2L1.1 (Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien), 2L1.2 (Illegal Reentry), 2L2.1 (Trafficking 

in Documents Relating to Citizenship), 2L2.2 (Fraudulently Acquiring Documents Related to Citizenship), and 2L2.5 

(Failure to Surrender Canceled Naturalization Certificate).

Figure 1

Immigration and Illegal Reentry Caseload

Fiscal Year 2013

All Other 

Offense

68.7%

Immigration 

Offenses

31.3%

All Other 

Immigration

16.7%

Illegal 

Reentry

83.3%

8

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Figure 2 below depicts the illegal reentry caseload nationally.

In fiscal year 2013, the vast 

majority of illegal reentry offenders 

were male (96.8%). The vast 

majority were Hispanic (98.1%), 

followed by White (1.0%), and 

Black (0.8%). The average age of 

illegal reentry offenders was 36 

years. The most common Criminal 

History Category (“CHC”) for 

illegal reentry offenders was 

Category III (28.6%). The 

proportion of offenders in other 

CHCs was as follows: CHC I 

(20.4%), CHC II (22.4%), CHC IV 

(15.5%), CHC V (7.9%), and CHC 

VI (5.2%).

As shown in Figure 3, in fiscal year 2013, approximately one-quarter of illegal reentry 

offenders were sentenced for “simple” illegal reentry (i.e., they were not enhanced based on

predicate convictions and thus faced a two-year statutory maximum under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a));

one-third of illegal reentry offenders faced a 10-year statutory maximum sentence under

§ 1326(b)(1) (i.e., they had predicate felony convictions, other than aggravated felonies, or they had

three or more misdemeanor convictions involving drugs, crimes against the person, or both); and 

slightly more than 40 percent faced a statutory maximum of 20 years under § 1326(b)(2) (i.e., they 

had predicate aggravated felony convictions). Less than one percent of offenders sentenced under 

§2L1.2 faced statutory maximums other than two, 10, or 20 years (e.g., they were convicted of 

failure to depart under 8 U.S.C. § 1253, which has a four-year statutory maximum).

The average sentence 

length for illegal reentry 

offenders was 18 months in 

fiscal year 2013 (with a median 

sentence of 12 months). This 

represents a 14.3 percent 

decrease since 2009, when the 

average sentence for illegal 

reentry offenders was 21 months. 

The average guideline minimum 

in fiscal year 2013 was 21 

months (with a median guideline 

minimum of 15 months).

Figure 2

District of Illegal Reentry Offenders

Fiscal Year 2013

All Other

25.7%

TX - South

20.8%

TX - West

17.3%

NM

15.3%

AZ

12.9%

CA - South

7.9%

2- Year 

Statutory 

Maximum

25.5%

10-Year 

Statutory 

Maximum

33.4%

20-Year 

Statutory 

Maximum

40.4%

Other 

Statutory 

Maximum

0.7%

Figure 3

Illegal Reentry Offenders with Two, 10, and 20 Year Statutory 

Maximums Under 8 U.S.C.§1326(a), (b)(1), and (b)(2)

Fiscal Year 2013

9
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Figure 4 shows the average sentence and average guideline minimum from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal 

year 2013.

Notably, virtually all illegal reentry 

offenders — including the 40.4 percent with 

the most serious criminal histories triggering 

a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years (240 

months) under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) — were

sentenced at or below the ten-year statutory 

maximum under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) for 

offenders with less serious criminal histories 

(i.e., those without “aggravated felony” 

convictions). Only two of the 18,498 illegal 

reentry offenders sentenced in fiscal year 

2013 received a sentence above ten years. 

This result appears consistent with §2L1.2, as 

the maximum guideline range for illegal 

reentry offenders—absent any adjustment 

from Chapter Three of the Guidelines Manual—is 100-125 months.24

As shown in Figure 5, 

which depicts sentences 

relative to the guideline 

range, the overall withinrange rate of all §2L1.2 cases 

was 55.6 percent; 28.9 

percent received early 

disposition program 

downward departures 

pursuant to §5K3.1; 1.4 

percent received other 

government sponsored 

downward departures 

(pursuant to §5K1.1 or for 

other reasons); 12.8 percent 

had non-government 

sponsored below-range 

sentences; and 1.3 percent 

had above-range sentences. 

24 A defendant who is in Criminal History Category VI, who receives the maximum 16-level enhancement under 

§2L1.2(b)(1), and who does not receive a reduction for acceptance of responsibility under §3E1.1, will be at offense 

level 24, with a resulting guideline range of 100-125 months. With credit for acceptance of responsibility, the guideline 

range for such an offender would be 77-96 months. Only 28 offenders in fiscal year 2013 had a guideline minimum 

above 77 months.

0

10

20

30

40

50

FY

2009

FY

2010

FY

2011

FY

2012

FY

2013

Figure 4

Average Sentence and 

Average Guideline Minimum 

(in months)

Sentence Guideline Minimum

Figure 5

Place in Range for Illegal Reentry Offenders

Fiscal Year 2013

Within Range

55.6%

Above Range

1.3%

EDP

28.9%

Other 

Government 

Sponsored

1.4%

NonGovernment 

Sponsored 

Below Range

12.8%

10

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

B. Guideline Enhancements Under USSG §2L1.2(b)

As discussed above, illegal 

reentry offenders can receive 

enhancements from 4 to 16 levels 

under §2L1.2(b) depending on their 

criminal history. In fiscal year 2013, 

one-quarter (25.5%) of illegal reentry 

offenders received no enhancement 

under §2L1.2(b)(1), while nearly onequarter (23.5%) received a 16-level 

enhancement. Approximately onethird received a 4-level enhancement 

(32.8%), while one-tenth received an 

8-level enhancement (9.9%), and 

nearly one-tenth received a 12-level 

enhancement (8.2%). Figure 6 shows 

the distribution of enhancements. 

Notably, the distribution of the guideline enhancements generally corresponds to the distribution of 

the statutory enhancements under § 1326, depicted in Figure 3, supra.

As noted above, the overall within-range rate of all §2L1.2 cases was 55.6 percent. As 

Table 2 below shows, however, the rate of within-range sentences differed substantially depending 

on the level of enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1) — from 92.7 percent for cases with no 

enhancement to 31.3 percent for cases with the 16-level enhancement. Moreover, offenders who 

received a 16-level enhancement had the highest rate of non-government below-range sentences 

(29.4%), followed by offenders who received a 12-level enhancement (21.2%). Both groups of 

offenders also had higher rates of EDP departures (36.4% and 42.2%, respectively) than illegal 

reentry offenders generally (28.9%). 

Table 2

Place in Range by §2L1.2(b)(1) Enhancement Level

Fiscal Year 2013

Figure 6

Illegal Reentry Specific Offense Characteristic Levels

Fiscal Year 2013

16 Levels

23.5%

12 Levels

8.2%

8 Levels 4 Levels 9.9% 32.8%

No increase

25.5%

11
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Table 3 below shows the types of prior offenses for which illegal reentry offenders received 

enhancements pursuant to §2L1.2(b). 

Table 3

Types of Predicate Offenses For §2L1.2(B)(1) Enhancements

Fiscal Year 2013

Applied Percent

§2L1.2 Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States 18,498 100.0

Chapter 2 Specific Offense Characteristic Adjustments 13,774 74.5

Previously 

deported after 

a conviction 

for:

(b)(1)(A)(i) Drug trafficking offense with sentence that exceeded 13 months (16 

levels) 1,810 9.8

(b)(1)(A)(i)(2) Drug trafficking offense with sentence that exceeded 13 months – no 

criminal points (12 levels) 281 1.5

(b)(1)(A)(ii) Crime of violence (16 levels) 2,189 11.8

(b)(1)(A)(ii) Crime of violence – no criminal history points (12 levels) 439 2.4

(b)(1)(A)(iii) Firearms offense (16 levels) 27 0.1

(b)(1)(A)(iii) Firearms offense – no criminal history points (12 levels) 8 0.0

(b)(1)(A)(iv) Child pornography offense (16 levels) 4 0.0

(b)(1)(A)(v) National security/terrorism offense (16 levels) 0 0.0

(b)(1)(A)(vi) Human trafficking offense (16 levels) 12 0.1

(b)(1)(A)(vi) Human trafficking offense – no criminal 

 history points (12 levels) 5 0.0

(b)(1)(A)(vii) Alien smuggling offense (16 levels) 309 1.7

(b)(1)(A)(vii) Alien smuggling offense – no criminal history points (12 levels) 83 0.4

(b)(1)(B) Drug trafficking offense with sentence of 13 months or less (16 levels)25 1 0.0

(b)(1)(B) Drug trafficking offense with sentence of 13 months or less (12 levels) 710 3.8

(b)(1)(B) Drug trafficking offense with sentence of 13 months or less – no criminal 

history points (8 levels) 330 1.8

(b)(1)(C) “Aggravated felony” (8 levels) 1,498 8.1

(b)(1)(D) Any other felony (4 levels) 6,046 32.7

(b)(1)(E) Three or more misdemeanor crimes against the person or drug trafficking 

offenses (4 levels) 22 0.1

Notably, of the offenders receiving 16- or 12-level enhancements, the vast majority — 92.4 

percent — received an enhancement for a prior conviction for either a “crime of violence” or a 

“drug-trafficking offense” within the meaning of §2L1.2(b)(1)(A) and Application Note 1(B) 

following §2L1.2. There were slightly more cases with drug-trafficking convictions (47.7%) than 

25 This enhancement was not available under the guidelines, but court documents reflected the court’s finding that this 

was the proper level for this offense.

12

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

cases with convictions for crimes of violence (44.7%). Only a small percentage (7.6%) of illegal 

reentry offenders who received a 16- or 12-level enhancement received such an enhancement for 

one of the other predicate offenses (e.g., firearms offenses, alien smuggling offenses) listed in 

§2L1.2(b)(1)(A). 

Figure 7 below shows the geographic distribution of the different levels of enhancements in 

§2L1.2(b)(1) using data from the five districts that handle the most illegal reentry cases. As the data 

shows, the frequency of the various levels of enhancement apply at different rates across the 

districts. For instance, in fiscal year 2013, in the District of New Mexico, the majority of illegal 

reentry offenders received no enhancement and less than 10 percent of offenders received an 

enhancement of 8, 12, or 16 levels, while in the Southern District of Texas less than ten percent 

received no enhancement and a majority received an enhancement of 8, 12, or 16 levels.

0

20

40

60

80

100

All Texas - South Texas - West New Mexico Arizona California - South

Percent No Increase 4 Levels 8 Levels 12 Levels 16 Levels

Figure 7

SOC Level Distribution for Selected Districts

Fiscal Year 2013

III. SPECIAL CODING PROJECT OF ILLEGAL REENTRY CASES

A. Methodology 

The data reported in Part II above was derived by analyzing the Commission’s electronic 

database of information that is routinely collected by the Commission on an annual basis, for all 

federal cases for which the Commission receives full documentation in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 

§ 994(w).

26 Such routinely collected data primarily concerns information about applicable statutory 

26 Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(w), a district court is directed to submit to the Commission the following sentencing

documents in each felony or Class A misdemeanor case: the presentence report, the judgment, the statement of reasons 

form, the indictment or other charging instrument, and any plea agreement. 

13

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

penalty ranges, sentencing guidelines calculations, certain information about offenders’ criminal 

histories, and basic demographic information about offenders. In order to examine additional

relevant data, it was necessary for the Commission to conduct a “special coding project,” in which 

the relevant sentencing documents (particularly the presentence reports) were individually 

reexamined, and the desired information was collected (“coded”) and entered into a database. 

Because, as discussed above, the current illegal reentry guideline has enhancements based 

on the existence or non-existence of a single qualifying prior conviction, a special coding project 

was necessary to analyze the full criminal history of offenders. In addition to offenders’ complete 

criminal histories, the Commission also collected information about offenders’ prior deportations 

and certain personal characteristics such as their educational backgrounds, work histories, and 

substance abuse histories (information not routinely collected by the Commission). The 

Commission conducted this special coding project by examining a representative random sample 

(1,897 cases) of all 18,498 illegal reentry cases in which offenders were sentenced under §2L1.2

(and for which the Commission received full documentation) in fiscal year 2013 (referred to as the 

“coding sample” below). The results are set forth below.

B. Prior Deportations

Both 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) and USSG §2L1.2(b) provide for enhanced penalties solely based 

on certain types of predicate convictions that an illegal reentry offender obtained before being

deported. They do not account for the number of times an offender was previously deported and

thereafter illegally reentered (except that prior convictions for illegal reentry or felony illegal entry 

would count to the same extent as any other “felony”). For the purposes of the Commission’s 

report, “deportations” include references in presentence reports to prior “deportations,” 

“exclusions,” and “removals.”27 

With respect to the 1,894 cases in which the exact number of prior deportations was known, 

the average offender was deported 3.2 times (with a median of two deportations). The most 

common number of prior deportations was one (34.8% of cases). The highest number of 

deportations for any offender was 73. Offenders deported 10 or more times made up 4.6 percent of 

the sample. These offenders averaged 17.1 deportations. Figures 8 and 9 below summarize the 

Commission’s findings regarding offenders’ prior deportations.

27 See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) (referring to illegal reentry by “any alien who . . . has been denied admission, excluded, 

deported, or removed or has departed the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal is 

outstanding”). Information concerning the number of deportations was available in all but one of the 1,897 cases coded. 

The exact number of deportations was not known in two other cases. In one case, the offender was deported more than 

once, but the exact number was unknown and, in another case, the offender was deported more than five times but the 

exact number was unknown. 

14

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

Figure 8

Number of Deportations Per Offender

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 35 36 38 42 46 73

Number of Offenders

Number of Deportations

Mean # of Deportations = 3.2

34.7

23.5

29.8

7.6 4.6

0

20

40

60

80

100

One Two Three to Five Six to Nine Ten and Above

Percent

Figure 9

Number of Deportations Per Offender

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

Notably, 38.1 percent of offenders were deported and subsequently illegally reentered at 

least one time after being convicted and sentenced for either a prior illegal entry offense (8 U.S.C. 

§ 1325) or a prior illegal reentry offense (8 U.S.C. § 1326).

15
Illegal Reentry Offenses

C. Offenders’ Criminal Histories

1. Prior Convictions

a. Prior Convictions Generally

With one exception, every prior conviction was coded, regardless of whether it received 

criminal history points under §4A1.1 or was the basis for an enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1).28 

That exception was prior traffic offenses for which an offender did not receive any criminal history 

points.29 Based on separately coded data concerning offenders’ first and — in the case of multiple 

deportations — most recent deportations (discussed above), the data collected in the special coding 

project allowed the Commission to identify which prior convictions occurred before an offender 

was first deported and which convictions occurred after an offender was deported from (and 

subsequently illegally reentered) the country, both for the first and most recent times. Because 

many offenders were deported on multiple occasions, some offenders had prior convictions that 

qualified as both pre-deportation and post-reentry convictions. 

The vast majority of illegal reentry offenders in the coding sample (92.0%) had at least one 

prior conviction for a non-traffic offense.30 Only 151 offenders (8.0%) in the coding sample had no 

prior convictions. Of those 151 offenders, 90 (or 4.7% of all illegal reentry offenders in the coding 

sample) had only a single prior deportation before their instant illegal reentry prosecutions.31 The 

1,746 offenders with at least one prior non-traffic conviction had a total of 7,683 prior convictions, 

with an average of 4.4 prior convictions per offender32 (median of three). The highest number of 

prior convictions for any single offender was 41. The 1,746 offenders with at least one prior non28 For purposes of this special coding project, the Commission used a list of offense codes originally created for a prior 

Commission recidivism project conducted in 2004-05.

29 Because it was frequently difficult to determine whether a prior conviction was a felony or a misdemeanor offense 

from the information provided in the presentence report (“PSR”) — for example, with respect to offenses such as theft, 

assault, drug possession, and some DUIs, which are treated differently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction — it was 

impossible to determine the percentage of prior convictions that were felonies versus misdemeanor offenses. 

30 For the purposes of this project, DUI-type offenses were considered “non-traffic” offenses. Of the 151 offenders 

(8% of all offenders) who did not have a prior conviction for a non-traffic offense, four (2.6% of the 151) had a 

conviction for a traffic offense that received criminal history points after their first deportation.

31 Offenders with no prior convictions had an average of 1.9 prior deportations (ranging among the cases from a low of 

one deportation to a high of eight).

32 If all offenders are included, each offender had an average of 4.0 convictions (median of three).

16

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

traffic conviction had 6,529 prior “sentencing events,”33 with an average of 3.7 prior sentencing 

events per offender34 (median of three prior sentencing events). The highest number of prior 

sentencing events for any single offender was 32. 

Figure 10

Number of Convictions Per Offender

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 34 38 41

Number of Offenders

Number of Convictions

Mean # of Convictions = 4.4

The most common prior offense type was driving under the influence (“DUI”) or a related 

offense (e.g., driving while intoxicated), with 30.8 percent of offenders having at least one prior 

DUI-type conviction (16.7 percent had multiple DUI-type convictions). Next in frequency rate

were “other offenses,”35 illegal entry, illegal reentry, and simple possession of drugs. The average 

sentence imposed for prior convictions (for cases in which an exact sentence was noted in a 

presentence report) was 14 months (median of six months). The highest sentence for a prior 

conviction was 420 months. 

33 A prior “sentencing event” refers to a situation when an offender was sentenced for multiple convictions by the same 

court at a single sentencing hearing. All sentences imposed by the same court on the same date were counted as a single 

sentencing event.

34 If all offenders are included, the average number of sentencing events per offender was 3.4 (median of three).

35 This was a catchall category for both felony and misdemeanor offenses (non-traffic offenses) that were not more 

specifically described by another offense code.

17

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

b. Post-Reentry Convictions36

Both 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) and USSG §2L1.2(b) provide sentencing enhancements for 

offenders’ pre-deportation convictions but do not provide for enhancements based on convictions

for offenses committed after an offender illegally reentered the country. The latter type of 

convictions are only factored into offenders’ guideline ranges through the criminal history 

calculations in Chapter Four of the Guidelines Manual. As part of the special coding project, the 

Commission examined offenders’ criminal histories to identify convictions occurring after 

offenders were deported (excluding their instant illegal reentry convictions). Such convictions 

necessarily occurred after the offenders had illegally reentered the United States and, thus, will be 

referred to as “post-reentry convictions.” 

As depicted in Figure 11, 

the Commission determined that 

61.9 percent of offenders were 

convicted of at least one offense 

(other than their instant illegal 

reentry conviction) after their 

first (and, in some cases, only) 

deportation.37 A subset of that 

group — 19.4 percent of all 

illegal reentry offenders in the 

sample — were convicted of at 

least one offense after their most 

recent deportation. There were 

some cases in which the only 

offense (other than the instant 

illegal reentry offense) for which 

an offender was convicted after 

his or her first deportation was a

prior illegal entry offense

(8 U.S.C. § 1325) or a prior illegal reentry offense (8 U.S.C. § 1326). If those two prior offense 

types are excluded from the analysis, 48.0 percent of all offenders in the sample were convicted of 

at least one post-reentry offense.

36 Only post-reentry convictions were coded. There were also cases where offenders were arrested for state offenses 

after illegally reentering, but the state charges were dismissed when the federal government filed charges under 8 U.S.C. 

§ 1326. 

37 In 82.8 percent of cases in which the offender committed at least one offense after their most recent deportation 

(other than the instant illegal reentry offense), the offender was apprehended by immigration officials for the instant 

illegal reentry offense in connection with that other offense (e.g., the offender was found by immigration officials in 

prison or jail where the offender was awaiting prosecution or serving a sentence on a state charge). 

61.9

48.0

19.4

0

20

40

60

80

100

Conviction After

First Deportation

After First

Deportation -

Excluding Illegal

Entry/Reentry

After Most Recent

Deportation

Percent

Figure 11

Convictions after Deportation

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

18

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

With respect to offenses 

committed by offenders 

following their first and, in some 

cases, most recent deportations, 

Figure 12 includes a breakdown 

of the offense types.38 

As Figure 12 shows, a 

significant proportion of illegal 

reentry offenders committed 

serious offenses — including 

drug-trafficking and violent 

offenses — between the time that 

they were initially deported and

when they were ultimately 

arrested for their instant illegal 

reentry offense. 

c. The §2L1.2(b)(1) Enhancement Received for Defendants’ Prior Convictions

The analysis that follows concerns offenders’ complete criminal histories in relation to their 

level of enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1). As a preliminary matter, Figure 13 shows the average 

number of prior convictions for each level of enhancement.

38 Because some offenders were convicted of multiple offenses after illegally reentering the United States, the chart’s 

statistical breakdown of different offense types exceeds the 61.9% figure that represents the percentage of all offenders 

who committed one or more post-reentry offenses.

19.4

27.1

3.7

9.8

57.2

24.8

38.8

19.2

24.1

3.5 6.8

0.0

26.6

44.2

0

20

40

60

80

100

Against

Person

Drugs Firearms White

Collar

Immigration DUI Other

Offenses

Percent

After First Deportation

After Most Recent Deportation

Figure 12

Offenses of Conviction after Deportation

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

4.4

2.0

4.8

5.6

4.3 4.4

0

2

4

6

All No Increase Level 4 Level 8 Level 12 Level 16

Average

Figure 13

Average Number of Convictions by§2L1.2(b)(1) Level

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

19

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

i. No Enhancement Under §2L1.2(b)(1)

Offenders with no enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1) had an average of 2.0 prior convictions 

and 1.8 prior sentencing events. Those prior convictions did not qualify for enhancement for one of 

three reasons: (1) the convictions did not meet the legal criteria for enhancement under 

§2L1.2(b)(1); (2) the convictions occurred after the most recent illegal reentry; or (3) the parties 

entered into a plea agreement accepted by the court that exempted an eligible prior conviction from 

an enhancement that otherwise would have applied.

ii. 4-Level Enhancement Under §2L1.2(b)(1)(D) or (E)

Offenders with a 4-level enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1)(D) or (E) had an average of 4.8 

prior convictions and 4.2 prior sentencing events. The sentences imposed for the prior convictions 

which resulted in the 4-level enhancements ranged from probation (12.1% of such cases) to 300 

months of imprisonment.39 There was a prison sentence of one month or greater imposed for 85.3 

percent of these convictions, and the average sentence was 13 months (median of six months). As 

shown in Figure 14, the most frequent conviction triggering the 4-level enhancement was illegal 

reentry (which triggered the enhancement in 35.4% of cases), followed by simple possession of 

drugs (15.4%), and DUI (8.4%). 

35.4

15.4

8.4

3.7 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.5

26.2

0

20

40

60

80

100

Illegal

Reentry

Simple

Possession

DUI Burglary Theft Assault Illegal

Entry

Poss. w/

Intent to

Dist. Drugs

Other

Percent

Figure 14

Offenses Triggering the Four-Level Enhancement

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

39 The sentences mentioned above were imposed for the offenders’ prior convictions (as opposed their instant federal 

illegal reentry conviction). 

20

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

iii. 8-Level Enhancement Under §2L1.2(b)(1)(C)

Offenders with an 8-level enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1)(C) had an average of 5.6 prior 

convictions and 4.7 prior sentencing events. The sentences imposed for the prior convictions which 

resulted in the 8-level enhancement ranged from probation (14.8% of such cases) to 144 months. 

There was a prison sentence of one month or more imposed for 94.1 percent of these convictions, 

and the average sentence was 21 months (median of 13 months). As shown in Figure 15, the most 

frequent conviction triggering the 8-level enhancement was burglary (19.0%), followed by 

possession with intent to distribute drugs (“PWID”) (15.3%), and larceny and theft (14.8%). 

19.0

15.3 14.8

8.5

4.8 4.2 3.7 3.2

26.5

0

20

40

60

80

100

Burglary PWID Theft Trafficking Illegal

Reentry

Possession

Firearm

Forgery Assault Other

Percent

Figure 15

Offenses Triggering the Eight-Level Enhancement

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

iv. 12-Level Enhancement Under §2L1.2(b)(1)(B)

Offenders with a 12-level enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1)(B) had an average of 4.3 prior 

convictions and 3.7 prior sentencing events. The sentences imposed for the prior convictions which 

resulted in the 12-level enhancement ranged from probation (10.9% of such cases) to 144 months. 

There was a prison sentence of one month or more imposed for 89.1 percent of these convictions, 

and the average sentence was 20 months (median of 12 months).

21
Illegal Reentry Offenses

As shown in Figure 16 below,

40 the most frequent conviction triggering the 12-level 

enhancement was possession with the intent to distribute drugs (41.0%), followed by trafficking or 

distribution of drugs (16.6%), and assault (9.4%). 

v. 16-Level Enhancement Under §2L1.2(b)(1)(A)

Offenders with a 16-level enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1)(A) had an average of 4.4 prior 

convictions and 3.6 prior sentencing events. The sentences imposed for the prior convictions which 

resulted in the 16-level enhancement ranged from probation (2.7% of such cases) to 420 months. 

There was a prison sentence of one month or more imposed for 97.0 percent of these convictions, 

and the average sentence was 40 

months (median of 30 months). As 

shown in Figure 17 below, the most 

frequent conviction triggering the 16-

level enhancement was possession 

with the intent to distribute drugs 

(“PWID”) (25.4%), followed by 

assault (17.6%), and trafficking or 

distribution of drugs (9.2%). 

40 “Other Sexual Assault” and “Other Robbery” are offense type codes from the Commission’s list of offense types.

41.0

16.6

9.4 6.5 4.3 3.6 3.6 2.9

12.2

0

20

40

60

80

100

PWID Trafficking

Drugs

Assault Other

Sexual

Assault

Smuggling

Aliens

Other

Robbery

Transport

Drugs

Burglary Other

Percent

Figure 16

Offenses Triggering the 12 Level Enhancement

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

25.4

17.6

9.2 7.8 6.0 6.0 4.4 3.4

20.4

0

20

40

60

80

100

PWID Assault Trafficking

Drugs

Other

Sexual

Assault

Robbery -

Person

Smuggling

Aliens

Burglary Rape Other

Percent

Figure 17

Offenses Triggering the 16 Level Enhancement

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

22

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

As shown in Figure 18,

among crimes of violence that 

triggered the 16-level 

enhancement, the most frequent 

type of offense was assault 

(43.1%), followed by other sexual 

assault (16.1%), and robbery 

(12.3%).

D. Offender Characteristics and Circumstances Related to Their Offenses

The special coding project also examined several characteristics of offenders and 

circumstances related to the commission of their illegal reentry offenses.

1. Location of Apprehension

As shown in Figure 19, 

the majority of offenders 

(63.7%) were apprehended for 

the instant offense at or near an 

international border. An 

additional 28.8 percent were 

first found by immigration 

officials while in custody for a 

non-traffic offense, while 7.2 

percent were in custody for a 

traffic offense. In a small 

number of cases, it could not 

be determined whether the 

offender was in custody for a 

traffic or non-traffic offense.

Figure 19

Where Apprehended for Instant Offense

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

Border

63.7%

Custody - Non 

Traffic

28.8%

Custody - Traffic

7.2%

Custody -

Unknown

0.3%

43.1

16.1

12.3 9.0 7.1 7.1

2.8 2.4

0

20

40

60

80

100

Assault Other

Sexual

Assault

Robbery -

Person

Burglary Rape Other

Robbery

Kidnapping Murder

Percent

Figure 18

Crimes of Violence Triggering the 16-Level Enhancement

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

23
Illegal Reentry Offenses

2. United States Residence

Most offenders (64.1%) did not have an established residence within the United States at the 

time of apprehension for the instant illegal reentry offense. Offenders who had an established 

United States residence at the time of the instant offense made up 35.9 percent of the sample. 

3. Schooling in the United States

The clear majority (82.0%) of offenders did not receive any schooling (primary, secondary, 

post-secondary school or college) within the United States. Offenders who did attend at least one of 

these types of educational institutions made up 18.0 percent of the sample. 

4. Language(s) Spoken

As shown in Figure 20, the majority of offenders (53.8%) spoke at least some English. 

Offenders who spoke fluent English made up 23.5 percent of the sample, while offenders who 

spoke some English, but were not fluent speakers, made up 30.3 percent of the sample. Offenders 

who spoke no English were 46.2 percent of the sample. Almost all offenders spoke the language of 

their native country41 fluently (98.3%) and another 1.7 percent spoke their native language, but not 

fluently. No offenders reported that they were totally unable to speak the language of their native 

country. 

Fluent English

23.5%

Some English

30.3%

No English

46.2%

Figure 20

Language(s) Spoken

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

Fluent

98.3%

Some

1.7%

None

0.0%

English Native Language

41 There were some cases in which the offender’s native country’s language was English (for example, Canada or 

Jamaica). These cases are included in the total of those who speak their native language. Native language was 

determined to be the predominant language of the offender’s country of citizenship.

24

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

5. Location of Relatives and Children

Most offenders (67.1%) had relatives (other than their children) in the United States42 at the 

time of the instant offense, while 32.9 percent did not have such relatives in the United States. Of 

the offenders who did not have relatives in their native country, 95.8 percent had relatives in the 

United States, while of the offenders who did not have relatives in the United States, 98.4 percent 

had relatives in their native country.

The Commission also 

collected information 

regarding whether offenders 

had at least one child (either a 

minor or an adult) living in 

the United States or living in 

the offender’s native country, 

regardless of whether the 

child lived with the 

offender.43 Offenders who 

had at least one child living in 

the United States (49.5%) 

made up the largest single 

percentage of the sample.

Figures 21a44 and 

21b45 summarize the 

Commission’s findings 

concerning offenders’ 

relatives, including their 

children.

42 A relative was considered to be a spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin. As discussed below, 

offenders’ children were analyzed separately.

43 The child/children did not have to be citizens of the United States. Where an offender had at least one child in both 

the United States and his or her native country, he or she would be included in both data categories.

44 Totals do not include the 17.4% of cases for which it could not be determined whether the offender had relatives in 

the United States, or the 17.3% of cases for which it could not be determined whether the offender had relatives in his or 

her native country.

45 Totals do not include the 5.0% of cases for which it could not be determined whether an offender had children in the 

United States, or the 5.2% of cases for which it could not be determined whether an offender had children in his or her 

native country.

None

32.9%

Relative in 

the U.S.

67.1%

None

12.3%

Relative in 

Native 

Country

87.7%

Figure 21a

Location of Relatives Other than Children

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

Relative in U.S. Relative in Native Country

25

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

6. Age at First Entry Into the United States

The age at which the offender first entered the United States46 could be determined in 73.5 

percent of the cases. The average age at the time of initial entry in those cases was 17 years 

(median of 17 years). Offenders who first entered the United States before the age of 18 were 53.1 

percent of the sample, while those who were 18 years or older were 46.9 percent. 

7. Work History in the United States

Most illegal reentry offenders (74.5%) had worked in the United States for more than one 

year47 at some time prior to being arrested for the instant offense. Offenders who had no work 

history in the United States accounted for 9.8 percent of the sample, while those who had less than 

one year of work were 2.6 percent of the sample, and those who did work, but for an undetermined 

length of time, were 13.2 percent of the sample. 

46 The age at which an offender first entered the United States (whether legally or illegally) should be contrasted with 

the age at which an offender last illegally reentered the United States. As noted above, the average age of illegal 

reentry offender (at the time of their sentencing) was 36 years old.

47 This work history included full-time and part-time employment, as well as “off the books” employment. The totals 

do not include the 21.6% of cases in which the information on the work histories the offenders could not be determined. 

No Children 

or None in 

the U.S.

40.0%

Children in 

U.S.

49.5%

Children, 

Location 

Unknown

10.5%

No Children 

or None in 

Native 

Country

57.8%

Children in 

Native 

Country

31.6%

Children, 

Location 

Unknown

10.6%

Figure 21b

Location of Children

Fiscal Year 2013 Coding Sample

Children in U.S. Children in Native Country

26

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

8. Substance Abuse

A majority of offenders (64.2%) reported no substance abuse problems, as reflected in their 

answers to the presentence report writers’ questions about their substance abuse history, whether 

they had been to a rehabilitation facility, and whether they had ever been clinically diagnosed with a 

substance abuse problem (questions typically posed during the presentence interview). Offenders 

who reported attending a rehabilitation facility made up 7.6 percent of the sample, while those who 

were diagnosed by a professional were 1.1 percent of the sample, those who self-reported some 

level of prior substance abuse were 22.1 percent of the sample, and those who admitted a history of 

“daily abuse” were 5.0 percent of the sample.48

There were offenders who reported no substance abuse history but who had been convicted 

of DUI or a related offense. Of the offenders who reported no substance abuse history, 27.3 percent 

had been convicted of a DUI-type offense (13.6 percent had multiple convictions, 13.7 percent had 

one conviction). Of the offenders whose substance abuse history could not be determined,

49 23.3 

percent had a conviction for a DUI-type offense (10.6 percent had multiple convictions and 12.7 

percent had one conviction). 

Combining the information on reported substance abuse histories and DUI-type convictions, 

56.1 percent of all illegal reentry offenders in the coding sample either had reported substance abuse 

issues or had been convicted of a DUI-type offense, or both.

IV. CONCLUSION

The Commission analyzed all 18,498 illegal reentry cases in fiscal year 2013 and also 

conducted a special coding project of a representative sample of those cases. Based on these 

analyses, the Commission reports the following key findings:

• Among all types of federal cases reported to the Commission in fiscal year 2013, 26 percent 

were illegal reentry cases.

• The number of illegal reentry cases rose from 2009 to 2013, with the majority of cases 

occurring in five districts located along the southwestern border of the United States.

• The vast majority of illegal reentry offenders were male (96.8%) and Hispanic (98.1%). The 

average age of such offenders was 36 years.

• In fiscal year 2013, all but two of the 18,498 illegal reentry offenders — including the 40 

percent with the most serious criminal histories triggering a statutory maximum penalty of 

20 years under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) — were sentenced at or below the ten-year statutory 

48 The totals do not include the 21.3% of cases in which a determination of the offender’s substance abuse could not be 

determined from the PSR.

49 See id. 

27

 
Illegal Reentry Offenses

maximum under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) for offenders with less serious criminal histories (i.e., 

those without “aggravated felony” convictions).

• Regarding sentences relative to the guideline range, the overall within-range rate for all 

illegal reentry cases was 55.6 percent. The rate of within-range sentences differed 

substantially depending on the level of enhancement under §2L1.2(b)(1) — from 92.7 

percent for cases with no enhancement to 31.3 percent for cases with the 16-level 

enhancement. Among offenders receiving 16- or 12-level enhancements, 92.4 percent 

received the enhancement because of a prior conviction that was either a crime of violence 

or a drug-trafficking offense.

• Significant differences in the rates of application of the various enhancements in §2L1.2(b) 

appeared among the districts where most illegal reentry offenders were prosecuted.

• The average offender was previously deported 3.2 times. Notably, 38.1 percent of offenders 

were deported and subsequently illegally reentered at least once after being convicted and 

sentenced for a prior conviction under 8 U.S.C. § 1325 (illegal entry) or 8 U.S.C. § 1326 

(illegal reentry).

• The vast majority of illegal reentry offenders (92.0%) had at least one prior conviction for a 

non-traffic offense, with an average of 4.4 prior convictions per offender.

• The Commission determined that 61.9 percent of offenders were convicted of at least one 

offense (other than their instant illegal reentry conviction) after their first (and, in some 

cases, only) deportation. If prior convictions under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1325 or 1326 are excluded 

from the analysis, 48.0 percent of all offenders in the sample were convicted of at least one 

post-reentry offense. A significant proportion of illegal reentry offenders committed serious 

offenses — including drug-trafficking and violent offenses — between the time that they 

were first deported and their arrest for the instant illegal reentry offense. Among all 

convictions that occurred after a prior deportation, 19.4 percent involved a crime against the 

person, and 27.1 percent involved a drug crime.

• Only 4.7 percent of illegal reentry offenders had no prior convictions and not more than one 

prior deportation before their instant illegal reentry prosecutions.

• The special coding project revealed the following data concerning illegal reentry offenders’ 

personal characteristics and the circumstances of their offenses:

o The majority of offenders (63.7%) were apprehended for the instant illegal reentry 

offense at or near the border.

o Most offenders (64.1%) did not have an established residence within the United 

States at the time of apprehension for the instant offense.

o The vast majority (82.0%) of offenders did not receive any schooling (primary, 

secondary, post-secondary school or college) within the United States.

28
Illegal Reentry Offenses

o A majority of offenders (53.8%) spoke at least some English. No offenders reported 

that they were totally unable to speak the language of their native country.

o Most offenders (67.1%) had relatives in the United States at the time of the instant 

offense. Nearly half (49.5%) had children in the United States.

o When an exact age could be determined, the average age at which offenders first 

entered the United States was 17 years.

o Most offenders (74.5%) had worked in the United States for more than one year at 

some time prior to being arrested for the instant offense. 

o A majority of offenders (64.2%) reported no substance abuse histories, although 56.1 

percent of all offenders either had a reported substance abuse history or had been 

convicted of a DUI-type offense, or both.

29