A bill introduced by Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dan Laughlin to protect citizens from criminal illegal immigrants has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill, Senate Bill 471, requires an attorney to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if a criminal proceeding involves an illegal immigrant.
“The tragic murder of Laken Hope Riley and the violent attacks on NYPD officers by individuals who should not have been in this country underscore the urgent need for action,” Laughlin said in a statement. “Pennsylvania must do its part to prevent these preventable crimes by ensuring those who break our laws are not released back onto our streets.”
He added, “This bill is about protecting law-abiding Pennsylvanians and ensuring that law enforcement has the tools necessary to keep our communities safe. We must send a clear message that Pennsylvania will not harbor those who break our laws.”
The bill will now be considered by the full Senate.
A separate legislative effort seeks to limit law enforcement’s involvement with federal immigration authorities.
Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval (D) announced last week that he plans to introduce legislation to “prohibit local law enforcement resources from being used for civil immigration enforcement, including inquiring about status, arresting or detaining individuals without criminal warrants, and sharing data.”
He explained that the legislation is designed to “keep criminal law enforcement resources focused on criminal law enforcement.”
“Whether your community is a densely populated city or a rural county, law enforcement is most effective when victims and witnesses of crimes feel safe communicating and cooperating with local authorities,” Saval wrote in a memo to Senate members. “This will not be possible if our local law enforcement is directed to do the work of federal immigration enforcement.”
