Sheridan Gorman Shooting Renews Debate Over Chicago’s Sanctuary Policies
Months after President Donald Trump ended a deportation blitz in Chicago, the city’s “sanctuary” policies are once again under scrutiny following the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman. The alleged gunman, Jose G. Medina, is a Venezuelan immigrant.
The shooting has ignited a political firestorm, with Republicans blaming the Biden administration’s immigration policies and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s local policies. Gorman was fatally shot on the lakefront in Rogers Park early Thursday, according to authorities.
Political Reactions
Trump called Gorman’s killing “devastating” and attributed it to what he described as an “open door policy” under President Joe Biden. Other Republicans have directed criticism at Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson.
“JB Pritzker’s soft on crime policies must come to an end,” stated Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate challenging Pritzker in the November election, calling for collaboration between Trump and Pritzker. “Illinois families deserve accountability.”
Governor Pritzker countered that the failures within the immigration system are “national failures,” citing a lack of comprehensive immigration reform and a failure by the federal government to prioritize enforcement against those deemed “the worst of the worst.”
The Shooting and the Accused
Sheridan Gorman’s family expressed “grave disappointment” with the policies they believe allowed the alleged shooter to remain free and commit the crime. “When systems fail—whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act—the consequences are not abstract. They are real,” the family said in a statement.
Prosecutors stated that Gorman was walking with friends when she noticed a masked gunman hiding nearby. The gunman opened fire as the group attempted to flee, striking Gorman in the back.
Jose G. Medina has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm and illegal gun possession in connection with the shooting.
Medina’s Prior Record
Federal officials have revealed that Medina was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023, subsequently released, and then arrested two months later for shoplifting. An active warrant was in place for his arrest in the shoplifting case at the time of the shooting, according to court records.
City and State Responses
Mayor Johnson stated that anyone who commits a crime in Chicago, “regardless of their status,” will be held accountable, emphasizing the swift investigation into Gorman’s slaying. He defended the city’s “Welcoming City” ordinance and the Illinois Trust Act, which limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement, arguing these policies are intended to encourage undocumented individuals to cooperate with law enforcement without fear of intimidation.
Johnson also called on the President and Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform, stating, “We know that this President has not taken this situation and this challenge in our country seriously.”
Echoes of Past Cases
Gorman’s death is drawing comparisons to the 2024 murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student, by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who was in the U.S. Without legal status. The Trump administration frequently referenced Riley’s case to advocate for stricter immigration enforcement.
However, research, including a Northwestern University study, indicates that immigrants are consistently less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born individuals.
The family of Katie Abraham, who was killed in 2025 by an undocumented immigrant, has offered differing views on the use of their daughter’s case in political debates over immigration policy.
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