Human smuggling and/or harboring; create crime for those who have illegally entered or illegally remained in the U.S.

HB 1037 creates two new state crimes in Mississippi: "unlawful harboring" (misdemeanor) for knowingly sheltering someone who entered or stayed in the U.S. without legal permission, and "unlawful human smuggling" (felony) for transporting groups of people for financial gain while hiding them from immigration authorities. It directly affects individuals who provide shelter or transportation to people in the U.S. without legal status, with penalties including fines starting at $1,000 per person harbored or up to 20 years in prison for smuggling minors. The bill specifies that knowledge of the person’s immigration status must be determined by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It also amends existing human trafficking laws to align with these new provisions. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.