‘‘§ 1545. Schemes to defraud aliens 
‘‘(a) Whoever knowingly defrauds any person in con-
nection with—
‘‘(1) any matter that is authorized by or arises 
under the immigration laws of the United States, or 
‘‘(2) any matter the offender claims or rep-
resents is authorized by or arises under the immi-
gration laws of the United States, 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 
15 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) Whoever knowingly and falsely represents him-
self to be an attorney in any matter authorized by or aris-
ing under the immigration laws of the United States shall 
be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 15 
years, or both. 
‘‘§ 1546. Immigration and visa fraud 
‘‘(a) Whoever—
‘‘(1) knowingly uses any immigration document 
issued or designed for the use of another; or 
‘‘(2) knowingly forges, counterfeits, alters, or 
falsely makes any immigration document; or 
‘‘(3) knowingly completes, mails, prepares, pre-
sents, signs, or submits any immigration document 
knowing it to contain any materially false statement 
or representation; or
‘‘(4) knowingly secures, possesses, uses, trans-
fers, receives, buys, or sells any immigration docu-
ment knowing it to be forged, counterfeited, altered, 
falsely made, stolen, procured by fraud, issued or de-
signed for another, or produced or issued without 
lawful authority; or 
‘‘(5) knowingly adopts or uses a false or ficti-
tious name to evade or to attempt to evade the im-
migration laws; or 
‘‘(6) knowingly and without lawful authority 
transfers or furnishes an immigration document to 
a person for use when such person is not the person 
for whom the immigration document was issued or 
designed; 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 
15 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) Whoever, during any three-year period—
‘‘(1) knowingly and without lawful authority 
produces, issues, or transfers 10 or more immigra-
tion documents; or 
‘‘(2) knowingly forges, counterfeits, alters, or 
falsely makes 10 or more immigration documents; or 
‘‘(3) knowingly secures, possesses, uses, buys, 
or sells 10 or more immigration documents, knowing 
the immigration documents to be forged, counter-
feited, altered, stolen, falsely made, procured by 
fraud, or issued or designed for the use of another, 
or produced or issued without lawful authority; or 
‘‘(4) knowingly completes, mails, prepares, pre-
sents, signs, or submits 10 or more immigration doc-
uments knowing the documents to contain any mate-
rially false statement or representation; 
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not less than 
2 years nor more than 20 years, or both. 
‘‘(c) Whoever knowingly and without lawful authority 
produces, counterfeits, secures, possesses, or uses any offi-
cial paper, seal, hologram, image, text, symbol, stamp, en-
graving, plate, or other material used to make an immigra-
tion document shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
not less than 2 years nor more than 20 years, or both. 
‘‘§ 1547. Attempts and conspiracies 
‘‘Whoever attempts or conspires to violate any section 
within this chapter shall be punished in the same manner 
as a completed violation of that section. An attempt of-
fense under this chapter is a general intent crime. 
‘‘§ 1548. Increased penalties for certain offenses 
‘‘(a) Whoever violates any of the sections within this 
chapter with the intent to facilitate an act of international 
terrorism (as defined in section 2331 of this title) shall
be fined under this title, imprisoned not less than 7 years 
nor more than 25 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) Whoever violates any section in this chapter with 
the intent to facilitate the commission of any offense 
against the United States (other than an offense in this 
chapter) or against any State, which offense is punishable 
by imprisonment for more than 1 year, shall be fined 
under this title, imprisoned not less than 3 years nor more 
than 20 years, or both. 
‘‘§ 1549. Seizure and forfeiture 
‘‘(a) Any property, real or personal, that has been 
used to commit or facilitate the commission of a violation 
of any section within this chapter, the gross proceeds of 
such violation, and any property traceable to such prop-
erty or proceeds, shall be subject to forfeiture. 
‘‘(b) Seizures and forfeitures under this section shall 
be governed by the provisions of chapter 46 of this title, 
relating to civil forfeitures, including section 981(d) of 
such title, except that such duties as are imposed upon 
the Secretary of the Treasury under the customs laws de-
scribed in that section shall be performed by such officers, 
agents, and other persons as may be designated for that 
purpose by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Sec-
retary of State, or the Attorney General.
‘‘§ 1550. Additional jurisdiction 
‘‘(a) Whoever commits an offense under this chapter 
within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of 
the United States shall be punished as provided by that 
offense. 
‘‘(b) Whoever commits an offense under this chapter 
outside the United States shall be punished as provided 
by that offense if—
‘‘(1) the offense involves a United States immi-
gration document (or any document purporting to be 
the same) or any matter, right, or benefit arising 
under or authorized by the immigration laws of the 
United States or the regulations prescribed there-
under; or 
‘‘(2) the offense is in or affects foreign com-
merce; or 
‘‘(3) the offense affects, jeopardizes, or poses a 
significant risk to the lawful administration of the 
immigration laws of the United States, or the na-
tional security of the United States; or 
‘‘(4) the offense is committed to facilitate an 
act of international terrorism (as defined in section 
2331 of this title) or a drug trafficking crime (as de-
fined in section 929(a) of this title) that affects or 
would affect the national security of the United 
States; or
‘‘(5) an offender is a national of the United 
States (as defined in section 101(a)(22) of the Im-
migration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
§ 
1001(a)(22)) or an alien lawfully admitted for per-
manent residence in the United States (as defined in 
section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(20)); or 
‘‘(6) an offender is a stateless person whose ha-
bitual residence is in the United States. 
‘‘§ 1551. Additional venue 
‘‘An offense under section 1542 of this chapter may 
be prosecuted in—
‘‘(1) any district in which the false statement or 
representation was made; or 
‘‘(2) any district in which the passport applica-
tion was prepared, submitted, mailed, received, proc-
essed, or adjudicated; or 
‘‘(3) in the case of an application prepared and 
adjudicated outside the United States, in the district 
in which the resultant passport was produced. 
Nothing in this section limits the venue otherwise available 
under sections 3237 and 3238 of this title. 
‘‘§ 1552. Definitions 
‘‘For purposes of this chapter:
‘‘(1) The term ‘falsely make’ means to prepare 
or complete an immigration document with knowl-
edge or in reckless disregard of the fact that the 
document—
‘‘(A) contains a statement or representa-
tion that is false, fictitious, or fraudulent; 
‘‘(B) has no basis in fact or law; or 
‘‘(C) otherwise fails to state a fact that is 
material to the purpose for which the document 
was created, designed, or submitted. 
‘‘(2) The term a ‘false statement or representa-
tion’ includes a personation or an omission. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘felony’ means any criminal of-
fense punishable by a term of imprisonment of more 
than 1 year under the laws of the United States, any 
State, or a foreign government. 
‘‘(4) 
The 
term 
‘immigration 
document’ 
means—
‘‘(A) any passport or visa; or 
‘‘(B) any application, petition, affidavit, 
declaration, attestation, form, identification 
card, alien registration document, employment 
authorization document, border crossing card, 
certificate, permit, order, license, stamp, au-
thorization, grant of authority, or other evi-
dentiary document, arising under or authorized 
by the immigration laws of the United States. 
Such term includes any document, photograph, or 
other piece of evidence attached to or submitted in 
support of an immigration document. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘immigration laws’ includes—
‘‘(A) 
the 
laws 
described 
in 
section 
101(a)(17) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17)); 
‘‘(B) the laws relating to the issuance and 
use of passports; and 
‘‘(C) the regulations prescribed under the 
authority of any law described in paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of this subsection. 
‘‘(6) A person does not exercise ‘lawful author-
ity’ if the person abuses or improperly exercises law-
ful authority the person otherwise holds. 
‘‘(7) The term ‘passport’ means a travel docu-
ment attesting to the identity and nationality of the 
bearer that is issued under the authority of the Sec-
retary of State, a foreign government, or an inter-
national organization; or any instrument purporting 
to be the same. 
‘‘(8) The term ‘produce’ means to make, pre-
pare, assemble, issue, print, authenticate, or alter.
‘‘(9) The term ‘State’ means a State of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, and any 
commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 
States. 
‘‘§ 1553. Authorized law enforcement activities 
‘‘The sections in this chapter do not prohibit any law-
fully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence ac-
tivity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, 
a State, or a subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence 
agency of the United States, or any activity authorized 
under title V of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 
(18 U.S.C. note prec. 3481).’’. 
SEC. 214. CRIMINAL DETENTION OF ALIENS. 
(a) Section 3142(e) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting at the end the following: 
‘‘Subject to rebuttal by the person, it shall be presumed 
that no condition or combination of conditions will reason-
ably assure the appearance of the person as required if 
the judicial officer finds that there is probable cause to 
believe that the person is an alien and that the person—
‘‘(1) has no lawful immigration status in the 
United States; 
‘‘(2) is the subject of a final order of removal; 
or
‘‘(3) has committed a felony offense under sec-
tion 911, 922(g)(5), 1015, 1028, 1425, or 1426 of 
this title, or any section of chapters 75 and 77 of 
this title, or section 243, 274, 275, 276, 277, or 
278, of the Immigration and Nationality Act.’’. 
(b) Section 3142(g)(3) of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (A) and by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C) the person’s immigration status; 
and’’. 
SEC. 215. UNIFORM STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CER-
TAIN IMMIGRATION, NATURALIZATION, AND 
PEONAGE OFFENSES. 
Section 3291 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 3291. IMMIGRATION, NATURALIZATION, AND PEON-
AGE OFFENSES. 
‘‘No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished 
for a violation of any section of chapters 69 (relating to 
nationality and citizenship offenses), 75 (relating to pass-
port, visa, and immigration offenses), or 77 (relating to 
peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons) of this title 
(or for attempt or conspiracy to violate any such section), 
or for a violation of any criminal provision of sections 243,
266, 274, 275, 276, 277, or 278 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (or for attempt or conspiracy to violate 
any such section), unless the indictment is returned or the 
information filed within ten years after the commission of 
the offense.’’. 
SEC. 216. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 
Subparagraph (P) of section 101(a)(43) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)) is 
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(i) which either is falsely mak-
ing, forging, counterfeiting, mutilating, or altering a 
passport or instrument in violation of section 1543 
of Title 18 or is described in section 1546(a) of such 
title (relating to document fraud) and (ii)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘which is described in any section of chapter 
75 of title 18, United States Code,’’; and 
(2) by inserting after ‘‘first offense’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘(i) that is not described in section 1548 (re-
lating to increased penalties), and (ii)’’. 
SEC. 217. INADMISSIBILITY FOR PASSPORT AND IMMIGRA-
TION FRAUD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)) 
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subclause (I);
(2) by inserting ‘‘or’’ at the end of subclause 
(II); and 
(3) by inserting the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(III) a violation of (or a con-
spiracy or attempt to violate) any sec-
tion of chapter 75 of title 18, United 
States Code,’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to proceedings pending on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 218. REMOVAL FOR PASSPORT AND IMMIGRATION 
FRAUD. 
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—Clause 
(iii) 
of 
section 
237(a)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C.1227(a)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows ‘‘(iii) 
of a violation of, or an attempt or a conspiracy to violate, 
any section of chapter 75 of title 18, United States 
Code,’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to proceedings pending on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 219. REDUCTION IN IMMIGRATION BACKLOG. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall require that, not later than six months after the