Fetterman, DeLuzio among Democrats who support bill for deporting immigrants
A bill that lowers the threshold for detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants accused of criminal activity will head to the U.S. Senate on Friday, with support from two Western Pennsylvania Democrats.
Sen. John Fetterman was the lone Senate Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, named for a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was killed in February 2024 while jogging at the University of Georgia.
Her convicted killer, Jose Ibarra, had entered the U.S. illegally and had previously been released after an arrest for retail theft.
Prosecutors said Ibarra, 26, had planned to sexually assault Riley when he attacked her at the college’s intramural sports complex and bludgeoned her with a rock.
Current law requires federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants who are convicted of a felony, but not for minor crimes such as shoplifting. The Laken Riley Act would change that and mandate that immigration authorities detain those suspected of theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses over $100.
In a statement, Fetterman said Riley’s story is a reminder of what is at stake in what he considers a failed immigration system.
“No family should have to endure the pain of preventable violence,” he said. “Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
The bill passed the U.S. House on Tuesday by a 264-159 vote. Nearly 50 Democrats voted in favor, including Rep. Chris DeLuzio, D-Fox Chapel.
“People across Western Pennsylvania want public safety,” DeLuzio told TribLive. “They want our immigration system to be better and our border to be more secure. I talk a lot about believing deeply that if you work hard, and you play by the rules, the American Dream should be yours.”
DeLuzio said he believes most of his constituents would agree that people who enter the country illegally and commit crimes shouldn’t be permitted to stay.
“That’s what this bill was all about,” he said.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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