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# Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-district-of-connecticut/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:12:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:12:58.000Z
- Description: In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 84 people were sentenced for immigration offenses in the District of Connecticut. The median prison term was 12 months, compared with 7 months in all 94 districts. Immigration cases were 3% of the district's 3,174 sentenced people.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–202](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-connecticut/) › Immigration Offense: District of Connecticut

**In brief:** In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 84 people were sentenced for immigration offenses in the District of Connecticut. The median prison term was 12 months, compared with 7 months in all 94 districts. Immigration cases were 3% of the district's 3,174 sentenced people.

Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 84 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## A Small Group With Longer Median Terms

Of the 84 people, 76 (90%) received a prison term. Another 8 (10%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. Nationally, 95% of people in immigration cases were sent to prison.

The median prison term was 12 months. A quarter received 18 months or more, and a quarter received 6 months or less. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.

The all-district median of 7 months is based on 217,838 people, far more than this district's 84.

## Which Guidelines Applied

"Immigration" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. In this district, the most common primary guideline was §2L1.2 (Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States), used for 56 people.

Other guidelines were §2L2.1 (Trafficking in a Document Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status, or a United States Passport) for 11 people, §2L2.2 (Fraudulently Acquiring Documents Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status for Own Use) for 10 people, and §2L1.1 (Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien) for 5 people.

## Sentences and the Guideline Range

Of the 83 people with this information, 41% (34) were sentenced within the guideline range. The national figure for immigration was 62%, and the district-wide figure for all offenses was 30%.

Below the range at the government's request were 19% (16 people). Below the range without a government request were 39% (32 people). Above the range was 1% (1 person).

## Pleas, Trials, and Mandatory Minimums

A total of 81 of 84 people (96%) pleaded guilty, and 3 were convicted after a trial. Nationally, more than 99% pleaded guilty. Among guilty pleas, 93% had a written plea agreement and 5% were straight pleas.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 12 months. After a trial it was 0 months, based on 3 people. That means the median person convicted at trial was not given a prison term of any length, though the group is too small to say more.

A mandatory minimum applied to 1 of the 83 people with that information (1%).

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Restitution

After prison, 55 people (65%) were ordered to serve supervised release, with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 1 person (1%), and restitution for 5 (6%).

In criminal history, 31% were in the lowest category and 5% in the highest.

## Yearly Counts Are Very Small

The yearly groups range from 3 people in fiscal year 2016 to 18 people in fiscal year 2019\. The median prison term was 3 months in fiscal year 2021 and 36 months in fiscal year 2025.

With so few people in each year, these figures do not show a trend. From fiscal years 2016 to 2019, 36 people were sentenced. From fiscal years 2020 to 2025, 48 people were sentenced.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 3                | 10.5 months   | 3 of 3         |
| 2017        | 7                | 12 months     | 6 of 7         |
| 2018        | 8                | 6 months      | 8 of 8         |
| 2019        | 18               | 13.7 months   | 100%           |
| 2020        | 15               | 10 months     | 100%           |
| 2021        | 6                | 3 months      | 6 of 6         |
| 2022        | 5                | 5.9 months    | 5 of 5         |
| 2023        | 8                | 8.8 months    | 8 of 8         |
| 2024        | 9                | 14 months     | 7 of 9         |
| 2025        | 5                | 36 months     | 5 of 5         |

## What the Records Leave Out

The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it.

The records do not show the facts of any case or why any sentence was chosen. The fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Connecticut (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Connecticut") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Immigration" (84). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.

**Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.

**Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.

**Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-connecticut/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-district-of-connecticut/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-district-of-connecticut/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-district-of-connecticut/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the District of Connecticut, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-district-of-connecticut/) (same district, other offense type)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.