The House voted this week to approve a bill that would require automatic deportation for undocumented immigrants convicted of driving under the influence. The proposal, introduced by Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, passed with a 246–160 vote. Not a single Republican opposed it. But the surprise came from across the aisle: 37 Democrats joined in support of the DUI bill.

Moore pointed to several fatal DUI cases involving undocumented immigrants, including one from his own Alabama district. The bill bears the names of Jeremy and Angel Seay, a couple killed by a drunk driver, as well as Arizona police officer Brandon Mendoza, who died under similar circumstances.

Moderate Democrats like Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington broke ranks to back the bill. Moore said the bipartisan support sends a message that DUI laws apply to everyone, citizen or not.

But the DUI = Deportation debate wasn’t without heat

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania pushed back earlier this week. She argued the bill leaned more into politics than public safety. She said there’s no proven link between immigration status and impaired driving and warned the measure doesn’t fix anything about the broader immigration system.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted no, along with most of the Democratic leadership.

Moore said he found it “amazing” that so many Democrats still voted against what he called a straightforward accountability measure, Fox News shared. He framed the issue as a test of priorities: protecting American lives versus resisting immigration reform.

The bill comes at a difficult time for certain immigrants and their loved ones

As ICE raids sweep across the nation, terrifying and separating families, the bill further asserts the federal government’s current (what some would say predatory) attitude toward this group.

Still, supporters say the damaging results of drunk driving are often permanent, including injury and death. They believe that if a convicted driver responsible for these risks does not have legal status, they should not be permitted to remain in the U.S.

If passed, it would mark a major shift in immigration enforcement policy, tying DUI convictions directly to deportation.