WATCH: Jeffries Declines to Say if Illegal Alien Accused of Killing Sheridan Gorman Should Be Deported
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) did not say whether or not an illegal immigrant charged with murdering Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman should be deported if convicted.
During an exchange with Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin on Capitol Hill, Jeffries was asked, “An illegal immigrant has been charged with murdering a college student in Chicago last week. Do House Democrats believe if he’s convicted, he’s someone who should be deported?”
Jeffries replied, “I’ll look into the case,” as he continued walking and did not elaborate further:
The question referred to the killing of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University Chicago freshman who was fatally shot on March 19 near Tobey Prinz Beach in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Prosecutors allege that 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, chased Gorman and her friends on a pier and opened fire as they attempted to flee, striking Gorman as she ran away.
Authorities say Medina-Medina was apprehended at the southern border on May 9, 2023, and released into the United States under former President Joe Biden’s catch-and-release policies. About a month later, he was arrested in Chicago for shoplifting but released without being transferred to federal immigration authorities due to local sanctuary policies. He now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, and remains in custody.
Jose Medina-Medina (left), an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, is accued of the shooting death of Loyola Chicago student Sheridan Gorman (right). (Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Facebook)
Democrat officials at the local, state, and national levels weighed in on the killing.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) criticized the federal government, saying, “The Trump administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) defended the city’s longstanding sanctuary policies, stating, “The Welcoming City ordinance was passed 40 years ago by the first Black mayor in the history of Chicago,” while also arguing, “If there is anything to address in this country that’s illegal, it’s everything about the Trump administration.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) speaks during an interview on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden suggested the encounter may not have been intentional, saying it “might have been a wrong place, wrong time” situation and that the group “might have startled this person at the end of the pier.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) warned that “tragedies just like what happened to that young woman, they are going to continue to happen,” and asked, “Why can’t you just agree that if you’re breaking the law and you’re already here illegally, deport them?” Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza called for action against the suspect, writing, “Hold him. Prosecute him. Deport him to prison in El Salvador.”
