Chicago Democrats Point to Immigration Policy in Response to Student’s Death

Democratic officials in Chicago are expressing frustration with their party, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, for overlooking the Biden-Harris administration’s impact on the country’s immigration issue.

During an interview shared recently, Councilman Raymond Lopez commented on the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, who was killed while out with friends.

“We can’t let the Trump administration dictate our actions just because they want to avoid seeming weak,” Lopez stated. The suspect, Jose Medina-Medina, is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 but was allowed to remain in the country under the previous administration’s policies. After being arrested for shoplifting a month later in Chicago, he was released again.

“Her death was entirely preventable, and it reflects choices made here in both the city and the state of Illinois, prioritizing the protection of non-citizens even when they engage in criminal activities. This needs to change,” Lopez told Fox News.

Lopez criticized Pritzker for blaming President Donald Trump for Gorman’s death, saying the governor’s response came after a question during a press conference where Pritzker referred to the incident as a “state failure.”

Pritzker remarked that Trump “disregarded his own orders” aimed at apprehending the most dangerous criminals present in the country illegally.

“If the blame lies with the federal government, it’s the federal government that initiated this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration permitted millions from South America and beyond to cross the southern border, often with manipulated asylum claims and insufficient screening processes, dispersing them throughout the U.S.,” Lopez added. He expressed disappointment at not having heard any Democrat hold Biden and Harris accountable for these developments.

Lopez noted that there are approximately 2,000 high-priority individuals in Chicago identified as threats to public safety, but claimed Democratic leaders are “unwilling to collaborate” with Trump’s administration to address this issue.

Lopez has previously attempted to abolish the city’s sanctuary law, which allows Chicago police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities regarding suspected illegal immigrants arrested or convicted of specific crimes. He mentioned that his proposal to amend the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance “failed to protect” Medina from immigration enforcement.