Currently, not all drunk driving offenses qualify as "aggravated felonies" under immigration law, even if they result in tragedy. This can create situations where someone serves their criminal sentence but cannot be deported because their specific crime doesn't fit the current federal list of high-level offenses. This bill aims to close that gap to ensure that serious intoxicated driving has permanent immigration consequences.

For many voters, this is a matter of public safety and ensuring that the privilege of living in the U.S. is tied to following the law. However, because the bill applies retroactively to past convictions and ignores whether a local judge thought the crime was a misdemeanor, it represents a significant hardening of immigration enforcement that could lead to more frequent and permanent family separations.