IL Dems decline to defend ‘no’ votes on Laken Riley Act after student’s killing tied to repeat offender
Nearly a dozen Illinois Democrats are declining to defend their votes against the Laken Riley Act after the killing of a Loyola student allegedly by an illegal immigrant who, under...
By Fox News · Fox News
Nearly a dozen Illinois Democrats are declining to defend their votes against the Laken Riley Act after the killing of a Loyola student allegedly by an illegal immigrant who, under the law, could have been detained following a prior arrest. Sheridan Gorman, 18, was shot and killed by Jose Medina-Medina , authorities allege, who had previously been picked up for shoplifting in Cook County. That charge would have qualified him to be held for federal detention and processing instead of being released back onto the streets, where he could reoffend, under the act named for a Georgia college student slain by another illegal immigrant repeat offender. DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that Gorman’s death could have been prevented if not for sanctuary state and city policies and if a law like the Laken Riley Act had been in effect sooner. "Sheridan Gorman — just like Laken Riley and countless other American victims — would still be with us today and with their families if it were not for sanctuary politicians’ refusal to cooperate with ICE," Bis said. CHICAGO LAWMAKER RIPPED OVER 'DISGUSTING' RESPONSE TO COLLEGE STUDENT KILLED BY ALLEGED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT The Illinois delegation voted 11-5 against the Laken Riley Act, with Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider not voting due to a medical emergency but later saying he would have voted "no." All three Republicans, along with Democratic Reps. Nikki Budzinski and Eric Sorenson, voted for the act, but 11 other Democrats opposed it, along with Schneider. "While I firmly believe that the government has a responsibility to keep our communities safe and do everything in its power to keep dangerous criminals off our streets, this bill, as written, opens the door to the targeting and detention of innocent people, something clearly prohibited by our Constitution," Schneider said in a January 2025 statement, going on to say he would support something more along the lines of the Lankford-Sinema immigration bill opposed b…