WireMarch 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM
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The fatal shooting of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago, has reignited debate over Chicago's sanctuary city policies. Gorman was walking with friends near the campus on March 19th when she was shot and killed by Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Gorman 'was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who released this illegal alien twice before he went on to commit this heinous murder.' Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance, expanded in 2021, bars local police from cooperating with ICE, limits ICE's access to city resources, and prevents officers from inquiring about immigration status during routine interactions.
Chicago's sanctuary policies created a dangerous environment where criminals like Medina-Medina could evade federal immigration enforcement and commit violent crimes.
Medina-Medina entered the U.S. illegally in May 2023 and was released into the interior without asylum claims. In June, he was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago but was released due to sanctuary policies. He failed to appear for a court date in September and later claimed a hospital stay prevented his attendance. Less than three years after his initial release, he fatally shot Gorman.
This case underscores the broader consequences of sanctuary policies that prioritize noncitizens over the safety and sovereignty of American citizens.