Civil penalties would begin at $500–$1,000 and double with each offense, a sharp increase from the current $50 fine.
U.S. Senator Jim Banks has introduced a new bill seeking to make visa overstay a federal crime punishable by jail.
The Visa Overstay Penalties Act would treat overstaying a visa with the same severity as illegal border crossings, imposing a six-month jail term for first-time offenders and up to two years for repeat violations.
“This is about national security. The Boulder terrorist and 9/11 hijackers didn’t sneak in. They overstayed visas,” Banks told Fox News. “That’s just as serious and just as dangerous.”
The bill follows last weekend’s Molotov cocktail attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Colorado, which injured eight people. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian citizen, allegedly remained in the U.S. illegally after his visa expired.
Civil penalties would begin at $500–$1,000 and double with each offense, a sharp increase from the current $50 fine.
Banks said tougher penalties could prevent future attacks and help authorities better track and deter overstays that pose security risks.