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"There is a significant moral difference between a person who commits a violent crime and a person who tries to cross a border illegally in order to put food on the family table. Such migrants may violate our laws against illicit entry, but if that's all they do then they are trespassers, not criminals. They deserve to have their dignity respected." -- Madeleine Albright (b. 1937-05-15, d. 2022-03-23; US ambassador to the UN 1993-1997, US secretary of state 1997-2001), "Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership", 2008
[A blessed Beltane and/or a happy Labor Day to everyone celebrating one or both of those!]
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A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness.
The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resulted in the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods, to which additional punishments including capital punishment could be added.The U.S. federal government defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year.
Note: the key is "could be sentenced to more than a year" but it is still a felony even if the inflicted sentence is less than a year.