• Illegal immigration can lead to fines and imprisonment."secure our borders" sign image by Christopher Martin from Fotolia.com
  
  Crossing the border into the United States without first applying for a visa or green card is a federal crime. Hiring, harboring and transporting illegal aliens are also federal crimes under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that illegal immigrants made up about 5 percent of the labor force in 2007.
  
  

Illegal Border Crossing

• Any immigrant who enters or attempts to enter the U.S. at any place or time not designated by immigration officers, who eludes inspection by officers, who enters or attempts to enter by using false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of material facts, violates U.S. law. A first offense initiates a fine of $50 to $250 and up to 6 months in prison. Subsequent violations are fined between $100 and $500 and carry a prison term up to two years. Other criminal or civil penalties may also be imposed.
  
  

Transporting Illegal Immigrants

• It is against federal law to transport an illegal alien into the U.S. regardless of whether the transporter is an individual, a commercial company or a consignee of any vessel or aircraft. Each person transported must have a valid passport and an unexpired visa.
  
  

Forged Documents

• Forging, counterfeiting, altering or purchasing any document for entry into the country or during any citizenship proceedings is illegal. Violators face fines of $250 to $2,000 for each document for the first violation and up to five years in prison. Subsequent arrests initiate fines of $2,000 to $5,000 for each document. Those who procure or attempt to procure fake credentials for the purpose of committing a crime face much harsher penalties.
  
  

Illegal to Hire

• Hiring or recruiting an illegal immigrant, including for migrant and seasonal employment, is illegal. It is also illegal to receive a fee for referring an illegal alien to a job in the United States. If, at any point, you learn that an illegal immigrant is in your employ, you must discontinue his employment. It does not matter if he was legal when his employment began.
  
  

Prevent Entry

• Everyone has a duty to try to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country, including workers on international bridges, toll roads, aircraft, transportation lines and sea-going vessels. Evidence of a person's failure to prevent the entry is the fact that an alien is found in the country and has failed to present himself to immigration officials. If the U.S. Attorney General prosecutes a failure to prevent entry, the accused may face a fine of $3,000 for each violation. A lien of $3,000 for each violation will be placed on an aircraft or other vessel that transported illegal aliens.
  
  

Evading Immigration Laws

• Any American citizen who knowingly marries an immigrant for the express purpose of evading immigration laws and is caught, faces five years or less in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
  
  Citizens who establish a commercial enterprise to evade immigration laws face up to five years in prison and fines.