Sponsors (24)
The bill strengthens grounds to exclude or remove noncitizens convicted of DWI to improve public safety, but it substantially raises deportation and family-separation risks for noncitizens, creates legal uncertainty across jurisdictions, and may increase enforcement costs.
Immigrants convicted of driving while intoxicated or impaired can be denied admission or removed, which may deter repeat DWI offenses and improve public road safety.
Fewer DWI incidents by noncitizens could modestly reduce accident-related costs (medical care, property damage, emergency response) over time.
Clarifying that DWI is a ground for exclusion/removal gives immigration authorities a clearer basis to prioritize removal of individuals whose conduct threatens public safety.
Lawful permanent residents and other noncitizen residents face increased risk of deportation for DWI convictions that some jurisdictions treat as misdemeanors, causing removals for relatively minor offenses.
Immigrant applicants and their families with past DWI admissions or convictions — even if minor or long ago — could be barred from entry, restricting family reunification and international travel for parents and relatives.
Relying on varied state and local definitions of DWI could produce inconsistent outcomes and legal uncertainty for noncitizens with similar conduct, increasing burdens on legal services and adjudicators.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds DWI/DUI convictions (and admissions of underlying acts) as statutory grounds for inadmissibility and deportability under the INA, regardless of misdemeanor/felony classification.
Adds driving-while-intoxicated or impaired convictions (or admissions of acts that constitute the offense) to the Immigration and Nationality Act as a new ground of inadmissibility and deportability. The change applies regardless of whether the offense is labeled a misdemeanor or felony under federal, state, tribal, or local law, using the definition of “driving while intoxicated or impaired” from the jurisdiction where the conviction or acts occurred.
Official title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired are inadmissible and deportable.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Barry Moore · Last progress June 27, 2025