Cornyn bill would make deadly DUI convictions grounds for deportation of illegal immigrants

FIRST ON FOX: Several lawmakers led by Sen. John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, want to impose sanctions on illegal immigrants convicted of fatal drunk driving incidents at the federal level, triggering deportation and preventing return to the United States.

Cornyn’s legislation would expand federal immigration law to treat serious drunken driving offenses causing death or serious bodily injury as “aggravated felonies.”

“There must be no mercy shown to illegal aliens who not only defy our laws by entering the country illegally, but who also go further by driving drunk, thereby threatening the lives of Americans,” Cornyn said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Legislation from Sen. John Cornyn, D-Texas, would expand federal immigration law to treat serious drunken driving offenses that result in death or serious bodily injury as “aggravated felonies.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

“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 ensure that you never set foot on American soil again,” he continued.

The measure, called the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, would add driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while impaired (DWI) offenses under the umbrella of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a law enacted in the 1950s that serves as the cornerstone of the nation’s immigration laws.

This decades-old law governs visas, green cards and citizenship, among other immigration-related issues.

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Lawmakers want to impose sanctions on illegal immigrants convicted of fatal drunk driving incidents at the federal level, triggering deportation and preventing return to the United States. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Cornyn’s measure would specifically add new aggravated offenses to pre-existing law that would lead to deportation, be barred from re-entering the country and make a person ineligible for most forms of immigration relief if convicted.

These offenses, specifically aimed at non-citizens, include convictions for DUI or DWI resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Notably, the proposed legislation would enact the new penalties regardless of whether the conviction is a misdemeanor or felony.

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Last year, DHS’ Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement noted that 15 people had been killed in DUI and DWI incidents involving illegal immigrants over the past decade. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The lawmaker pointed to statistics and testimony from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas to argue for the legislation.

Last year, DHS’ Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement noted that 15 people had been killed in DUI and DWI incidents involving illegal immigrants over the past decade. The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlighted one specific incident, in which an illegal immigrant with seven prior DWI convictions was able to re-enter the country after being deported three times previously.

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Cornyn is joined by Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Ted Budd, RN.C., Thom Tillis, RN.C., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., John Kennedy, R-La., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., in supporting the legislation.

Notably, Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, is the bill’s only Democratic co-sponsor.