A U.S. representative from central Texas recently claimed that half of the people arrested for driving while intoxicated on Interstate 35 are illegal immigrants. At a forum on the Mexican border crisis, the congressman said that local law enforcement had told him this, as well as that most illegal immigrants had no identification but police officers had to let them go with just a ticket because the jails are full. Fact-checkers debunked this claim on multiple levels:
- None of the law enforcement agencies they talked to had official statistics on the number of DWI arrests that involved illegal immigrants; and
- Jails have contingency plans in the event that they have reached capacity.
What is true is that immigrants, here legally or otherwise, can face serious consequences if they are convicted of DWI.
Will I Be Deported?
If you are an immigrant to the U.S. who has been charged with DWI, your biggest fear may be whether a conviction would result in deportation. The answer depends on your legal status in the U.S.:
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