Heated Exchange at Immigration Hearing
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) found himself in a confrontation with Democratic lawmakers during a recent immigration hearing, which escalated when a mother, whose child was murdered by an illegal immigrant, urged Congress to reconsider sanctuary policies.
During a session of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Lawler criticized Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) for lacking compassion towards Laken Riley and Sheridan Gorman, American victims whose lives were taken by illegal immigrants. Jessica Gorman, the mother of one of the victims, was invited to present her story to the committee.
“They can spare me the crocodile tears about not liking what I said or the fact that I addressed policy in my introduction,” Lawler remarked. “Please, just grow up.”
“To fully grasp why Jessica Gorman is here, you have to understand what happened to her daughter,” Lawler stated. He added, “The truth is, they didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t want to accept that the policies they support played a part in her death. That’s a key fact.”
Republicans from New York accused House Democrats of showing more empathy for the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Preti, who were shot earlier this year by federal agents during a protest in Minnesota.
This situation led to some confusion between the two parties, as Raskin yelled that Lawler wasn’t a member of the Judiciary Committee and didn’t understand constitutional matters.
In a tense back-and-forth, Raskin questioned Lawler about whether he felt anger toward Good and Preti. Lawler replied, “If you care about Alex Pretty and Renee Good, you should care just as much about Sheridan Gorman.” He elaborated, “The difference is that I spoke out about the murders of Alex Preti and Renee Good. They shouldn’t have died. But they lost their lives due to sanctuary policies preventing local law enforcement from handling crowd and traffic control.”
Lawler expressed disappointment in Raskin’s views on sanctuary policies, saying he should feel “ashamed.” He vented, “The nonsense we had to endure, that Jessica, Tom, and Madeline had to listen to—I can’t tolerate that.”
Raskin, a staunch advocate of sanctuary policies, maintained that enforcing federal immigration laws at local levels is unconstitutional. He often defended what he views as federal overreach concerning these policies and criticized measures to deny federal funding to cities and states limiting ICE collaboration.
Conclusively, Lawler stated, “If it weren’t for open borders, sanctuary policies, and pro-criminal cashless bail policies, Sheridan Gorman would still be alive. They support those policies; I don’t. And that’s the fundamental difference here.”
