Dem Senators Dodge Questions on Illegal Alien Accused of Killing Chicago Student

Republican senators condemn policies that allowed the suspect to remain in the U.S., while Democrats avoid directly addressing the case.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 8:34am

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In the aftermath of the alleged murder of 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Republican senators quickly criticized the policies that allowed the suspect to remain in the country. However, Democratic senators dodged questions on whether the suspect should have been deported prior to the killing, with some arguing that the Trump administration's broad deportation efforts have prevented law enforcement from targeting truly dangerous individuals.

Why it matters

The case has reignited the debate over immigration enforcement and the balance between public safety and civil liberties. It highlights the political divide over how to handle undocumented immigrants with criminal records, with Republicans calling for stricter deportation policies and Democrats arguing for more selective enforcement focused on violent offenders.

The details

According to authorities, the suspect, 25-year-old Jose Medina, was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 but was subsequently released into the U.S. under the Biden administration. Medina was later arrested for shoplifting in Chicago but was again released in June 2023, despite a judge issuing a warrant for his failure to appear in court. Medina is now accused of killing Gorman, a Loyola University student, earlier this month.

  • Medina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023.
  • Medina was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago in June 2023.
  • A judge issued a warrant for Medina's failure to appear in court for the shoplifting charge, which was still active at the time of Gorman's killing.

The players

Jose Medina

A 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela who is accused of killing 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a student at Loyola University of Chicago.

Sheridan Gorman

An 18-year-old student at Loyola University of Chicago who was allegedly killed by Jose Medina.

Ted Cruz

A Republican senator from Texas who condemned the policies that allowed the suspect to remain in the U.S.

Rick Scott

A Republican senator from Florida who also criticized the policies that allowed the suspect to remain in the U.S.

Dick Durbin

A Democratic senator from Illinois who argued that shoplifting alone is not an indicator of a person leaning toward violent crime.

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What they’re saying

“Shoplifting in and of itself is not a violent crime. It's not an indicator of a person that's leaning toward violent crime.”

— Dick Durbin, Democratic Senator from Illinois

“You're asking me to speculate on a bunch of things and I can't answer that.”

— Catherine Cortez-Masto, Democratic Senator from Nevada

“I think that if Trump cleared out Chicago and if ICE did their job, he wouldn't be here, right? But they deported people who are not… [unintelligible].”

— Tammy Duckworth, Democratic Senator from Illinois

“It's tragic and it was avoidable. The Democrats are so radical they prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens.”

— Ted Cruz, Republican Senator from Texas

“It's disgusting that these people say, 'Oh, they act like they care about Americans.' But then you look at their actions – they care about people who are here violently hurting Americans.”

— Rick Scott, Republican Senator from Florida

What’s next

The case is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the justice system will handle the allegations against Jose Medina and the broader policy debates surrounding immigration enforcement.

The takeaway

This tragic case has reignited the longstanding political debate over immigration policy, with Republicans calling for stricter deportation measures and Democrats arguing for more targeted enforcement focused on violent offenders. The divergent responses from senators on both sides of the aisle highlight the deep partisan divisions on this issue.