The U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Published February 2, 2024
Democrats have earned a reputation for being soft on crime and lax on immigration. When the two intersect, it’s a weak-will buffet.
The House passed a bill Thursday strengthening laws to prevent noncitizens convicted of driving under the influence from immigrating to the U.S. — or to deport them.
As The Hill reported, the bill passed with a 274-150 vote, with 59 Democrats joining all 215 Republicans in backing the legislation.
That’s 150 Democrats voting against deporting noncitizens with DUIs, or preventing them from staying in the country. Our Massachusetts representatives voted thusly: Jake Auchincloss, Katherine Clark, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, Richard Neal, Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan voted nay. Two yes votes came from Bill Keating and Stephen Lynch.
DUIs are already grounds for deportation in some cases, and it’s by those seeking to gain residency here that such a conviction can hinder the process of adjusting their status.
But the bill passed by the House targets conflicts between state and federal law that sometimes allow past DUI convictions to not be considered in an immigration case. And it also makes all misdemeanor DUI offenses a grounds both for deportation and making someone inadmissible for adjusting their status.
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SOURCE: www.bostonherald.com
RELATED: Dozens of Democrats join Republicans in passing bill to deport illegal immigrants who receive DUIs
Published February 2, 2024
The House approved a Republican-proposed bill Thursday with support from 59 Democrats that would indefinitely deport undocumented immigrants who are charged with driving under the influence in the United States.
“In the United States, someone dies in a crash with an impaired driver every 45 minutes. I lost two of my young newlywed constituents to an illegal immigrant driving under the influence of alcohol,” Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), who brought forth the legislation, told Fox News.
While it was primarily Republicans in favor of the measure, the final tally of votes was 274-150. All Alabama House Republicans voted in support of the bill, and the state’s lone Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell opposed it, 1819 News reported.
The proposal follows a drunk driving incident that took place last month where an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, who had previously been deported four times, allegedly killed a mother and her son in a car crash where authorities say alcohol was involved.
Immigration and border security have been points of contention for lawmakers recently, as Republicans demand tougher restrictions on immigration. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused President Joe Biden in a speech Wednesday of intentionally allowing an open border and called for him to put forth an executive order to combat the country’s migration crisis.
“They made it a campaign issue when Biden came in on day one. … Biden has every tool in the toolbox to shut the southern border down … we don’t need more money, we need to apply the laws that are on the books,” Moore said.
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SOURCE: www.washingtonexaminer.com
RELATED: House passes bill strengthening ability to block immigrants for DUIs
Published February 1, 2024
The House passed a bill Thursday strengthening laws to prevent noncitizens convicted of driving under the influence from immigrating to the country — or to deport them.
The bill passed with a 274-150 vote, with 59 Democrats joining all 215 Republicans in backing the legislation.
DUIs are already grounds for deportation in some cases, and it’s well understood by those seeking to gain residency that such a conviction can hinder the process of adjusting their status.
But the bill passed by the House targets conflicts between state and federal law that sometimes allow past DUI convictions to not be considered in an immigration case. And it also makes all misdemeanor DUI offenses a grounds both for deportation and making someone inadmissible for adjusting their status.
“With the seriousness of the crime and the potential deadly consequences, you would think that if an illegal immigrant was caught driving under the influence, they would be deported and barred from reentering the country – unfortunately, however, that is not always the case,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote in a Thursday note previewing the bill.
The legislation, if further approved, would likely have the biggest impact on those already in the U.S. seeking to adjust their status.
The bill comes after the GOP has been highly critical of the Biden administration’s enforcement priorities, which provides guidance to immigration officers about who to target for deportation, complaining DUIs should be specifically listed.
While the priorities don’t place limitations on deporting those with a DUI, it encourages officers to focus on those deemed a public safety threat. It also prioritizes deporting those deemed a national security or border security threat.
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SOURCE: www.thehill.com
