150 Democrats vote against measure declaring aliens deportable if convicted of 'driving while intoxicated or impaired'

In a bipartisan 274-150 vote, the House of Representatives passed a measure on Thursday that would declare that aliens who drive "while intoxicated or impaired" are inadmissible and, if convicted of such an offense, deportable.

The 150 lawmakers who voted against the measure were all Democrats. But 59 other Democrats joined 215 Republicans in voting to approve the measure.

"Any alien who has been convicted of an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired, as those terms are defined under the law of the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred (including a conviction for driving while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol or drugs), without regard to whether the conviction is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under Federal, State, tribal, or local law, is deportable," the measure reads.

"Any alien who has been convicted of, who admits having committed, or who admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired, as those terms are defined under the law of the jurisdiction where the conviction, offense, or acts constituting the essential elements of the offense occurred (including an offense for driving while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol or drugs), without regard to whether the conviction or offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under Federal, State, tribal, or local law, is inadmissible," the proposal states.

In speaking out against the measure, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington called the proposal "extraordinarily broad" and claimed, "Public safety threats, including those who have been convicted of serious DUI offenses are already inadmissible and removable ... and this bill would not change or enhance that."

U.S. law currently indicates that an alien is deportable if they have been "convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years (or 10 years in the case of an alien provided lawful permanent resident status under section 1255(j) of this title) after the date of admission, and" have "convicted of a crime for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed."

Jayapal claimed that "courts have ruled ... that serious DUI offenses that put others at risk are CIMTs and make the perpetrators deportable."

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