The proposed Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act may make driving under the influence (DUI) punishable by removal for green card holders. If passed, this bill could alter long-standing removal standards. Green card holders convicted of a DUI, even if classified as a misdemeanor, could face detention and removal. Driving under the influence of any substance-drugs, alcohol, etc.-counts as a DUI. DUIs are only federal offenses under certain circumstances.

The bill was introduced on January 31, 2025. It proposes two main changes. First, the expansion of inadmissibility under U.S. law to include any foreign resident convicted of crimes while driving intoxicated. Second, the bill proposes that a DUI conviction serves as a basis for removal. A DUI conviction may also be sufficient for an undocumented immigrant’s removal. Undocumented individuals would also be barred from legally re-entering the U.S.

The bill passed the House of Representatives on June 23, 2025. It’s currently being reviewed by the Senate. There’s no timetable for the bill’s potential passage in the Senate.

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