PROSECUTORS’ PUSH: 2,600+ Immigrants Charged In July As Southern Districts Turn Immigration Into Prison Time

An opinion piece argues that immigration enforcement in the U.S. South is shifting from administrative removals to criminal prosecutions, with July 2025 TRAC data showing criminal cases at their highest recent level. Federal prosecutors filed more than 2,600 criminal cases in July, largely tied to illegal re-entry charges, and over 85% fell under criminal provisions related to “Aliens and Nationality.” Five southern districts in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico accounted for the majority of cases, producing geographic disparities where crossing location can determine whether migrants face prison time. The author warns this criminalization replaces pathways to legal status, increases strain on federal courts and budgets, and risks normalizing punishment over administrative removal absent action by courts or Congress.