I'm trying to understand the difference between the two. Can you help me?

I think that with formal deportation, in which maybe 160,000 or so people were deported from the USA in 2005 (I believe) it applies to felons and people who are dangerous. If they try to re-enter the USA, they are technically subject to criminal charges for re-entering the country. Is that correct?

If someone is given voluntary departure, usually for Mexicans because they directly border us, these are people who were found to be in the U.S. illegally, maybe working illegally, and didn't commit a felony. They are driven by bus usually and dumped over the border. Don't know how many thousands have received this in the past year.

Anyway, with this type of departure, if they were to illegally re-enter the USA, unless they committed a felony the second time they came, they can't be criminally charged for illegal re-entry, right? This is where I'm confused.

Can someone help me to understand how illegal re-entry works, and who can be criminally charged? I know that many people enter our country multiple times illegally, and nothing is done to them (but a busride back to Mexico.) How is the law supposed to work? Thanks!

Ostrich