Elon Musk, the renowned tech entrepreneur, has publicly supported the deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of drunk driving in the United States.
His stance was revealed following the House's approval of a bill that would classify driving under the influence as a deportable offense, a piece of legislation that was opposed by 150 Democrats.
Musk, in a post on X, highlighted the tragic case of Jose Guadalupe Menjivar-Alas, an illegal immigrant with a history of two DUIs and four deportation orders. Menjivar-Alas was responsible for the death of a family while driving under the influence. Musk stated, "It is hard to visualize the consequences of bad lawmakers until you see the victims." He further emphasized the gravity of the situation by adding, "This could have been your family. It was someones family."
The bill in question, HR 6976 or the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, was proposed by Rep. Barry Moore on January 11. It stipulates that illegal immigrants convicted of or admitting to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be deported.
During a Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill, Moore highlighted the alarming frequency of alcohol-related accidents, stating, "Every 45 minutes -- that is how often someone in the United States dies in a crash with an alcohol-impaired driver." He added, "In 2021 alone, there were 13,384 impaired driving fatalities and 400,000 injuries. Those crashes don't discriminate. It could me, it could be you, could be one of our family members."
The case that sparked this debate involved Menjivar-Alas, who, on December 12, 2023, was driving a Toyota Tundra when he collided with a Mazda CX-5. The Mazda was driven by 47-year-old Melissa Powell, who, along with her 16-year-old son Riordan in the back seat, was killed in the accident.
Menjivar-Alas, a native of El Salvador, was also injured in the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital. However, three days later, he was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide from reckless driving, vehicular homicide caused by DUI, and habitual traffic offender.
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