Contact: Becky Ruby 202-225-2931

Gingrey co-sponsors legislation to make drunk driving grounds for expedited deportation of illegal immigrants

Washington, Mar 27 –

U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey this week helped introduce legislation to ensure illegal immigrants are quickly deported after being convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI). H.R. 1355, the Scott Gardner Act, would close loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. after being convicted of drunk driving. The bill is named in memory of a North Carolina man who was killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver with five prior DWI charges.

“The number of drunk driving deaths caused by illegal immigrants is growing,” said Gingrey. “This is an issue that hits very close to home, as several years ago a college student was killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver at the intersection of Sandtown Road and Powder Springs Road in Smyrna. If illegal aliens are convicted of a crime, we should put them on a fast-track to deportation. Our immigration system is out of control, and we desperately need to get our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to stop these criminals from harming our citizens.”

H.R. 1355 would:

Make DWIs grounds for mandatory detention and expedited deportation of illegal aliens;

Require the sharing of information on illegal immigrants among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies;

Improve the operation and compatibility of federal immigration and criminal databases;
Increase detention facility space.

( A note from D.A. -Thank you Congressman Gingrey!)