The current administration is very serious about enforcing our immigration laws, and unlike the previous administration, it has not placed any restrictions on which provisions can be enforced. As border czar Tom Homan has said, “We’re enforcing the laws that Congress enacted and a president signed.”

Most of the provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act pertain to civil offenses, such as deportability and eligibility for relief from deportation. But the law also includes criminal provisions — including ones that make giving prohibited assistance to undocumented immigrants a felony.

Individuals who help undocumented immigrants need to know that they may be committing a serious criminal offense that can result in severe consequences, including substantial fines and lengthy prison sentences. In extreme cases, offenders may face life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.

This does not mean that you can’t help someone who might be an undocumented immigrant without subjecting yourself to prosecution. The main criminal provisions that pertain to assisting undocumented migrants can be found in 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A), which includes the following offenses:

Smuggling: Bringing or attempting to bring a person into the United States at any place other than a port of entry knowing that he/she is an alien is a criminal offense.........

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