(The Center Square) – Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, says violent crimes perpetrated by non-citizens are not isolated incidents and occur across the country.
His comments come as the state Senate passed legislation he sponsored that would require the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to be alerted when a noncitizen becomes a criminal defendant in Pennsylvania. It also means that defendants would be transferred to federal custody for deportation.
The one-page bill cleared the state Senate on Monday 31-18, with four Democrats joining the chamber’s 27 Republicans in a yes vote. It awaits consideration in the House.
