- The House passed a bill to deport undocumented immigrants convicted of DUI offenses.
- The measure passed 246 to 160, with 37 Democrats joining all Republicans in support.
- Critics warn of profiling risks and duplicative laws already existing on the books.
A new immigration bill is making its way through Congress, reigniting debates around public safety, deportation policy, and the political optics that come with both.
The House of Representatives just passed legislation to allow the deportation of illegal immigrants when they’re convicted of driving under the influence. The measure passed 246 to 160 and will now head to the Senate for further confirmation. If it passes there, it’ll go to the desk of President Donald Trump.
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Dubbed the “The Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025″, HB275 would also make individuals deported under this law ineligible for return to the U.S. Rep. Barry Moore introduced a similar bill in 2024, but it didn’t make it past the Senate.
“Today, we consider a simple common-sense bill that says if you’re a guest in our country and you drive drunk, you should in fact, be deported,” Moore said. “Now, to the average American, passing this bill is a no-brainer. Even in a polarized time, Democrats should be able to join Republicans and unanimously support such reasonable legislation. After all, deporting dangerous criminals is a rational, normal, and coherent step that this House should take.” Sure enough, 37 House Democrats agreed and voted for it.
The legislation is named after Brandon Mendoza, Jeremy Seaym and Angel Seaym, three individuals who died in accidents involving illegal immigrants that were convicted of driving under the influence. Notably, the act isn’t retroactive, so it’ll only apply to non-citizens convicted of DUI after it becomes law.
Not every organization approves of the act as written. WSFA highlights Minnesota-based Advocates for Human Rights, who say that it “links DUI arrests and immigration enforcement even though marginalized communities face disproportionate over-policing and racial profiling.”
Others online criticized the lack of enforcement of current laws. “How about we quit with the theater and enforce the laws on the books? Being illegally in this country is already a precedent for deportation. All the grandstanding with additional ‘Acts’ is wasting time and doing nothing real,” someone commented – and they do seem to have a point. Now, it’s up to the Senate to decide if this act will move forward and, eventually, lands on President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
