Burlington, Vermont – On July 18, 2025, Huan Lin, a 41-year-old Chinese citizen, was convicted of illegally entering the United States. The conviction followed a one-day bench trial overseen by United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Lin received a time-served sentence of approximately three months.
The evidence presented at the trial indicated that on April 18, 2025, Lin was seen walking across a field near Holland, Vermont, close to the U.S.-Canada border. She entered a minivan with New York license plates that appeared to be hired transportation. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle after Lin boarded it and found her in possession of a Chinese passport with a Canadian visa and an entry stamp into Canada from seven days prior. In addition to the passport, she carried changes of clothing and electronics chargers in her purse and backpack along with foreign currency and what seemed to be Chinese identification and bank cards. It was confirmed by Border Patrol agents that Lin did not have legal status in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher acknowledged “the collaborative investigatory efforts of United States Border Patrol and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher prosecuted the case against Lin who was defended by Assistant Federal Public Defenders Charles N. Curlett Jr., and Emily Kenyon.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America which aims to combat illegal immigration through resources provided by the Department of Justice including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
