PA lawmaker wants mandatory death penalty for illegals who kill

 A Pennsylvania state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would implement a mandatory death penalty for “illegal aliens convicted of murder,” reported WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

State Representative Eric Davanzo (R-Westmoreland) says he plans to introduce the bill while citing cases across the country where those who have entered the United States illegally have been convicted of serious crimes.

Davanzo specifically cited the case of Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student who was killed by a Venezuelan man earlier this year after he unlawfully entered the country. He also cited the search for Brazilian native Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania after he escaped the Chester County prison following a conviction for killing his ex-girlfriend.

“At a time when the Federal government has demonstrated an unmistakable aversion to countering this ever-increasing surge in illegal immigration and some district attorneys of this Commonwealth refuse to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainers, drastic measures are needed to deter violent crime and illegal migration, promote justice for victims and their families, and ensure uniformity in punishment,” said Davanzo in a memo to House members. “I believe that any individual who unlawfully enters this country and commits a murder should face the most severe consequences under our laws. This legislation demonstrates that the House of Representatives is, unlike the Federal Government, willing to protect its citizens and ensure justice for victims.”

In Pennsylvania, the death penalty can only be applied in cases where a defendant is found guilty of first-degree murder if aggravating factors are present in the conviction.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said last year we would block the death penalty during his administration and called for the practice to be abolished.

“The Commonwealth shouldn’t be in the business of putting people to death. Period,” said Shapiro in 2023.

Attorney General-elect Dave Sunday said during his 2024 campaign that he would seek the death penalty.

Since 1976, three people have been executed by lethal injection in Pennsylvania with the last being in 1999, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. There are currently 95 people sitting on Pennsylvania’s death row, the most recent being added in May 2023.

To read more CLICK HERE