Dozens of Democrats Vote with Republicans to Deport Illegal Immigrant Drunk Drivers

A rare moment of bipartisan unity shook the Capitol Thursday as 37 House Democrats defied party leadership and joined Republicans to pass a bill mandating the deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of driving under the influence.

The legislation—pushed by Alabama Republican Rep. Barry Moore—cleared the House in a 246-160 vote. Not a single Republican opposed it. But what raised eyebrows across Washington was the surprising group of Democrats who bucked their own caucus to back the bill.

“Today, the House stood up for American lives,” Moore said in a statement. “If you’re in this country illegally and you drive drunk—putting innocent families at risk—you’re gone. No second chances.”

Moore named the bill after Jeremy and Angel Seay, a couple from his own district in Alabama who were killed by a drunk-driving illegal immigrant. It also honors fallen Arizona police officer Brandon Mendoza, who was struck and killed in 2014 by another repeat-offender illegal immigrant under the influence of alcohol and meth.

“These names are not just symbols,” Moore told reporters outside the chamber. “They were Americans—husbands, wives, sons, daughters—slaughtered because someone who never should’ve been here chose to get behind the wheel drunk. We owe it to their families to act.”

Among the 37 Democrats who crossed the aisle were intelligence committee ranking member Jim Himes (D-CT), moderates Jared Golden (D-ME), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Don Davis (D-NC), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).

But top Democrats in the House—including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—firmly rejected the bill. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) slammed the legislation as “fear-driven” and “meaningless,” claiming there was no evidence illegal immigrants commit DUI at higher rates than citizens.

“This is political theater masquerading as reform,” Scanlon said during a Rules Committee hearing. “It does nothing to fix our immigration system.”

Moore didn’t hold back in response.

“What’s meaningless is burying American families while Democrats play defense for people who are here illegally,” he told Fox News Digital. “We finally got a few of them to vote with us—but the fact that 160 still stood in the way? It’s outrageous.”

Now, the bill heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. With President Donald Trump expected to sign it if it reaches his desk, all eyes will be on Senate Democrats—especially those in battleground states—who may soon have to choose between the White House’s open-border legacy and public safety.

Texas Rep. Brandon Gill put it bluntly in a recent appearance on Fox News: “The left’s political playbook depends on mass illegal immigration. That’s the bottom line.”

With the 2026 midterms looming, Republicans are betting that votes like this one will put Democrats in a tough spot—with the safety of American citizens front and center.

Drunk driving is a deadly crime. When illegal immigrants commit it, the American people deserve swift consequences—not partisan excuses. This bill is a step toward restoring law, order, and common sense.