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Myrick to re-introduce immigration DWI bill 7:50 AM

07:50 AM EST on Tuesday, March 6, 2007

By JANELLE MARTINEZ / WCNC
E-mail Janelle: JMartinez@WCNC.com

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Myrick to revive immigration DWI bill

Myrick: You're drunk, you're driving, you're illegal, you're deported, period
U.S. Representative Sue Myrick will re-introduce the Scott Gardner Act in Congress on Tuesday. Gardner was a Gaston County teacher and father who was killed two years ago by a drunk driver. The driver was an illegal immigrant with five prior drunk driving arrests.

Monday, Gardner’s mother, Emily Moose, and several other victims of similar crimes gathered in Uptown Charlotte to show their support for the bill.

“In the United States 13 people are killed every day by illegal immigrants driving drunk and it is time for it to stop,” Moose said.

The bill calls for automatic deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of DWI and for their name to be entered into a database. The bill made it through the House of Representatives last year, but never made it to the Senate.

Leeanna Newman was killed last month by a man police said was driving drunk and in the country illegally. Rigo Martinez also had a prior DWI conviction.

Newmman’s cousin, Jennifer Raper, said she is praying for the Scott Gardner Act to pass.

“I can not help but wonder if this piece of legislation had gone through a year ago, my little cousin and her unborn child might still be her today,” said Raper.