Cruz / Cornyn introduce bill targeting drunk driving offenses by illegal immigrants

Two U.S. senators from Texas have introduced legislation aimed at increasing penalties for drunk driving offenses committed by illegal immigrants in the United States.

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) unveiled the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, which would amend current law to classify certain drunk driving offenses committed by illegal immigrants as aggravated felonies. The legislation targets offenses that result in severe bodily injury or death.

Under the proposed bill, foreign nationals convicted of such offenses, or who admit to committing acts that meet the legal criteria for these crimes, would be denied entry into the United States.

“This legislation closes a legal loophole that has prevented and would continue to prevent law enforcement from protecting Americans,” Cruz said in a press statement regarding the bill. He also urged his Senate colleagues to support the measure.

Cornyn emphasized the bill’s focus on deterrence. “Zero mercy should be shown to illegal aliens who not only defy our laws by unlawfully entering the country but also take it a step further to drive drunk, threatening American lives,” he said. “By strengthening current immigration law to hold these offenders accountable, our bill sends a clear message: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again.”

The senators cited specific cases in Texas to highlight the issue. In Corpus Christi last year, 44-year-old Mexican national Arturo Cruz-Badillo was convicted of drunk driving after multiple prior offenses; Cruz-Badillo had been deported three times previously. In Arlington, Cesar Ramirez Castro, a 25-year-old Mexican citizen, was charged with intoxication manslaughter after a crash on Interstate 20 killed a 22-year-old man.

The bill currently has bipartisan support. Co-sponsors include U.S. Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Democrat Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).

Cruz and Cornyn argue that cases such as Cruz-Badillo and Ramirez Castro illustrate gaps in current law that they believe need to be addressed. The legislation has yet to be formally introduced for a full Senate vote, and its prospects remain uncertain amid ongoing debates over immigration and criminal justice policy.