CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nearly 20 percent of the illegal immigrants in Gaston and Mecklenburg County jails are there because of driving while impaired charges, according to findings released by U.S. Representative Sue Myrick on Thursday.

Myrick hopes the information will convince legislators to pass a bill aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.

According to a National Immigration Program, 892 of Mecklenburg County's illegal immigrants in jail were arrested for DWI and 70 of the 388 in Gaston County were arrested for DWI.

Myrick is pushing for the passage of the Scott Gardner Act. Gardner was a high school teacher from Gaston County who prosecutors say was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk and slammed into the Gardner family’s car in 2005. That man, Ramiro Gallegos, had multiple DWI convictions.

Myrick sent a letter outlining the findings to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee urging them to pass that act.

PDF: House Bill - Scott Gardner Act

PDF: Letter On Scott Gardner Act

PDF: Press Release On Illegal Alien DWI Stats