House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., accused Democratic sanctuary city policies of enabling the alleged murder of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student. Gorman was killed on March 19 by Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who had been apprehended and released by U.S. Border Patrol in 2023.
Johnson Calls Out Policy Failures
Johnson stated, "The system did not fail Sheridan. That worked exactly as the Democrats intended." He blamed Democratic leadership in Chicago and the White House for creating an environment that "coddled the criminal illegal alien." Medina-Medina had been arrested for shoplifting shortly after entering the country, yet was released due to sanctuary policies.
"He was in the custody of law enforcement twice, and there were two chances to stop Sheridan's killer," Johnson said. "But Democrats’ open borders guaranteed his release, and their soft-on-crime sanctuary policies ensured his impunity."
Family Demands Accountability
The Gorman family released a statement calling for accountability from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, rejecting claims that Gorman’s death was a "senseless tragedy." The case has reignited national scrutiny of sanctuary city policies, drawing comparisons to the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley earlier this year.
Johnson urged Americans to question how many more lives would be lost under such policies, concluding, "Unfortunately, the Democrats’ agenda is going to continue to come at the expense of American citizens."