2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden said his administration would fire Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who arrest and deport illegal immigrants who are not guilty of felony crimes, adding that he doesn't "count drunk driving as a felony."

The former vice president made the comments at a Vice News forum on minority issues in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday evening.

When asked what changes he would bring to the agency as president, Biden, 77, said he wants to change the fact that children of illegal immigrants live in fear that their parents will be arrested and deported.

"They go off to school wondering whether their mom comes and picks them up [or] if she’s not going to be there because an ICE agent was there to arrest her. Or she takes him to the doctor, that she’s going to not be there because she is ‘undocumented’ and an ICE agent is going to pick him up," he said.

"You change the culture by saying you are going to get fired. You are fired if, in fact, you do that. You only arrest for the purpose of dealing with a felony that's committed, and I don't count drunk driving as a felony," he added.

While a first offense of driving under the influence is considered a misdemeanor in most of the United States, repeated offenses can warrant a felony charge in many states. Some states may also elevate a drunken driving charge to a felony if it causes death or severe injury.