Congress·In Committee·S. 2547

Kate's Law

Sen. Cruz Introduces Kate's Law to Mandate Longer Prison Sentences for Illegal Reentry

A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties for individuals who illegally enter and reenter the United States after being removed, and for other purposes.

Jul 30, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

StalledNext up: A senate committeeNo action in 11 months

A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.

Legislative Progress

Senate

No action since July 2025

House

President

Law

Key Points

This bill, known as Kate's Law, would increase the maximum prison time for entering the U.S. illegally from 2 years to 5 years.
It creates a mandatory 5-year prison sentence for anyone who enters the country illegally and is later convicted of a crime that carries a sentence of more than one year.
People who return to the U.S. after being deported would face up to 10 years in prison, which is an increase from previous limits.
The bill sets a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for anyone who reenters the U.S. after being deported if they have a prior felony conviction or a history of serious crimes.
Those who have been deported three or more times and try to come back would also face up to 10 years in prison under these new rules.

ImmigrationCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works

This bill dramatically increases the criminal penalties for anyone who enters or reenters the U.S. without authorization. The maximum sentence for illegal entry jumps from 2 years to 5 years, and people who reenter after deportation could face up to 10 years — or a mandatory minimum of 10 years if they have a prior felony. These harsher penalties would fundamentally change the legal consequences for undocumented individuals caught crossing the border or found in the country after removal.

-4

ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

-4

ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jul 30, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jul 30, 2025

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Related News

1 article

Axios·Jan 27, 2025

Scoop: Republicans target migrants who come back after deportations

Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Stephanie Bice are reintroducing 'Kate’s Law' to impose harsher penalties on migrants who illegally recross into the U.S. after removal. The move is part of a broader GOP strategy to force divisive votes on immigration and strengthen enforcement under the new administration.

Center

No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties for individuals who illegally enter and reenter the United States after being removed, and for other purposes.

Bill NumberS 2547

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.