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# Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-western-district-of-kentucky/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:15:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:15:10.000Z
- Description: The Western District of Kentucky sentenced 222 people for immigration offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 4.4 months, lower than the 7 months for this offense type in all 94 districts together. Sentences were within the guideline range for 57%, compared with 37% across
- 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 Western District of Kentucky, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-kentucky/) › Immigration Offense: Western District of Kentucky

**In brief:** The Western District of Kentucky sentenced 222 people for immigration offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 4.4 months, lower than the 7 months for this offense type in all 94 districts together. Sentences were within the guideline range for 57%, compared with 37% across all offenses in the district.

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 222 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/).

## Short Prison Terms Are the Norm Here

Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 4.4 months. A quarter received 10 months or more, and a quarter received 0 months or less. The Commission records some prison terms as 0 months.

For all offenses in this district, the median prison term was 57 months. The immigration median is far lower. In all districts, 217,838 people were sentenced for immigration offenses, and their median prison term was 7 months.

## Size of the Group and Share of the Caseload

The U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type "Immigration" covers 222 people in this district. They are 7% of the 3,229 people sentenced in the district across all offense types.

Of the 222, 215 (97%) received a prison term and 6 (3%) received probation only. Nationally, 95% were sent to prison.

## A Busy Year at the End of the Period

The district sentenced 85 people for immigration offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 137 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The largest single year was fiscal year 2025, with 50 people. The next largest was fiscal year 2019, with 35.

The yearly medians in the table range from 0 months to 7.5 months. Most years have small counts, so one year's median says little by itself. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through the end of September.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 16               | 5 months      | 94%            |
| 2017        | 15               | 0 months      | 100%           |
| 2018        | 19               | 7 months      | 95%            |
| 2019        | 35               | 0 months      | 97%            |
| 2020        | 21               | 5 months      | 100%           |
| 2021        | 10               | 1.8 months    | 100%           |
| 2022        | 16               | 6 months      | 100%           |
| 2023        | 18               | 7 months      | 100%           |
| 2024        | 22               | 7.5 months    | 100%           |
| 2025        | 50               | 2.1 months    | 100%           |

## Pleas and Trials

Guilty pleas were entered by 219 of the 222 people (99%), and 3 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 4.6 months. After a trial it was 0 months, based on 3 people, which is too few to show a pattern.

Among the guilty pleas, 88% had a written plea agreement and 11% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## Position Against the Guideline Range

Within the range were 126 sentences (57%). Below the range at the government's request were 64 (29%), and below it without such a request were 30 (14%). 2 sentences (less than 1%) were above the range.

For immigration offenses in all districts, 62% of sentences were within the range. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 221 people with that information recorded.

## Release After Prison and Criminal History

Supervised release was ordered for 177 people (80%), with a median term of 12 months. A fine was ordered for 3 people (1%) and restitution for 1 person.

On criminal history, 30% were in the lowest category and 2% were in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Which Guidelines Applied, and What Is Not Shown

The primary guideline for 157 people was §2L1.2 (Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States). 10 used §2L2.2 (Fraudulently Acquiring Documents Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status for Own Use), 6 used §2L2.1 (Trafficking in a Document Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status, or a United States Passport), and 1 used §2L1.1 (Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien).

Fort Knox, Kentucky is in the district and appears in this site's court-martial data. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal court. The federal data counts only people convicted and sentenced, and the terms are those imposed, not time served.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Western District of Kentucky (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Kentucky West") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Immigration" (222). 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 Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-kentucky/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-western-district-of-kentucky/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-western-district-of-kentucky/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-western-district-of-kentucky/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the Western District of Kentucky, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-sentences-western-district-of-kentucky/) (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.