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A bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of driving while under the influence (DUI) netted the support of 37 House Democrats on Thursday.
The bill was introduced by conservative Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and passed by a 246 to 160 vote.
No Republican voted against the bill, and it was opposed by 160 Democrats.
Democrats who voted for the legislation include Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as moderate Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., Don Davis, D-N.C., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., among others.
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“Today’s vote in the House sends a clear message: if you are a guest in this country, and you break our laws and put American lives at risk by driving under the influence, there will be consequences,” Moore said.
The bill is named after Jeremy and Angel Seay, a couple from Moore’s own community who were killed by an illegal immigrant who was found to have been drunk driving, Moore said.
It’s also named after slain Arizona police officer Brandon Mendoza, who was killed by an illegal immigrant found to have been driving under the influence.
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Democrats who opposed the bill argued it was an attempt at fearmongering.
“I participated in the judiciary hearings that led to this bill being sent to the floor, and I carefully reviewed the majority report. There’s absolutely no evidence in that hearing or report showing a causal connection between immigration status and drunk driving,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said when the House Rules Committee debated the bill earlier this week.
“And most notably, for all this talk, this legislation takes no real meaningful action to repair our broken immigration system.”
But Moore said he was “amazed” that 160 Democrats voted against the bill.
“It just shows that if it comes to anything about holding illegal immigrants accountable, even if it’s killing our own people in drunk driving cases, they’re against any kind of reforms on immigration,” Moore said.
House Democrats’ senior leadership are among the 160 who voted against the bill, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
The legislation would have to be taken up by the Senate and then signed into law by President Donald Trump to go into effect.
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