US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with several colleagues, have introduced the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act. The proposed legislation aims to strengthen immigration laws so that non-citizens who drive under the influence and cause death or serious injury can be classified as aggravated felons. This classification would allow for their arrest, detention, removal from the United States, and permanent ineligibility for immigration statuses such as asylum or lawful permanent residency.
Lankford stated, “People who are not legally present in this country should be removed, especially if they have been convicted of driving under the influence. Federal law should be clear that no illegal alien should ever have a second DUI conviction.”
Cornyn added, “Zero mercy should be shown to illegal aliens who not only defy our laws by unlawfully entering the country but also take it a step further to drive drunk, threatening American lives. By strengthening current immigration law to hold these offenders accountable, our bill sends a clear message: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again.”
The legislation is supported by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). The bill is endorsed by organizations including the Border Trade Alliance, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and NumbersUSA.
Under current law, non-citizens convicted of DUI or DWI are subject to removal from the U.S., but there have been cases where individuals reenter after deportation and commit similar offenses. The new act seeks to address this issue by making DUI or DWI incidents resulting in death or serious bodily injury aggravated felonies under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
James Lankford serves as a United States Senator representing Oklahoma since 2014 after serving in the House of Representatives. He leads the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and participates in committees related to finance, homeland security, governmental affairs, and intelligence (official website). His work includes priorities such as safeguarding families and supporting allies (official website).
