WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans, along with 37 Democrats, passed Rep. Barry Moore’s bill that would make undocumented immigrants who drive drunk or impaired eligible for deportation.
Moore, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said the bill, The Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, was in honor of a couple from Enterprise who were killed by a migrant drunk driver while they were riding a motorcycle.
“Their lives were cut short by the senseless act,” Moore, R-Enterprise, said on the House floor. “Tragedies like this are not uncommon across this country.”
In 2023, 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There is no data on how many crashes involve noncitizens.
Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell of Birmingham joined Alabama’s House Republicans to support the bill during Thursday’s floor vote. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, voted against it. Sewell voted against the same bill last year.
The legislation would bar undocumented immigrants who drive while intoxicated or impaired from admission into the United States and would make them eligible for deportation. It would apply to individuals who have been convicted or have admitted to the offense.
“It’s an honor to be here, it’s a privilege to be in this country,” Moore told Alabama Daily News. “Abide by the laws and the rule of law and if you don’t, then we’ll get you out of here.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, opposed the bill on the floor. He said Congress can do a lot to improve safety on the roads, but he argued the bill does not solve any safety problems. He said the issue was also personal to him, as he lost a cousin to a drunk driver.
“It’s obviously not a serious attempt to address the social problem of drunk driving,” Raskin of Maryland said. “It does not increase criminal penalties for DUIs anywhere in the country.”
Crimes that can trigger deportation for migrants who are convicted include those of moral turpitude and human trafficking, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law earlier this year, which requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who commit crimes such as burglary or shoplifting. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., sponsored the bill.
In a statement after the House vote, Moore thanked his colleagues for supporting the legislation and for prioritizing “the safety of the American people first.”
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. The House passed the legislation last year, with 59 Democrats joining Republicans to vote for it. It did not get a vote in the Senate.