Shenango Valley News

U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) has voted in favor of The Laken Riley Act, a bill aimed at enhancing community safety by mandating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal immigrants involved in theft, burglary, larceny, and shoplifting offenses. The legislation is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered in 2024 by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela with previous theft charges.

Having received approval from the U.S. Senate, the bill now awaits President Trump's signature to become law.

Rep. Kelly stated, "Over the last four years, the Biden Administration turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the illegal immigration crisis along our borders. This legislation makes it clear: violent illegal immigrant criminals have no home in the United States."

The act also allows state governments to seek injunctive relief for immigration enforcement decisions that negatively impact their state or residents. The Senate version broadens the scope of criminal offenses leading to mandatory detention by including “assault on a law enforcement officer” and “crimes that result in serious bodily injury.”