The Department of Homeland Security has asked sanctuary politicians in Chicago not to release a Venezuelan illegal alien charged with the murder of an 18-year-old college student.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer for Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national accused of fatally shooting Loyola University Chicago freshman Sheridan Gorman, DHS announced.
The agency is urging Illinois officials, including Gov. JB Pritzker, to ensure the suspect is not released back into the community.
According to Chicago police, Medina-Medina faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated discharge of a firearm in the March attack near Loyola's campus along Lake Michigan.
Authorities say Gorman, 18, was walking with friends around 1 a.m. when a masked gunman approached and opened fire, killing her at the scene, ABC7 reported.
Friends and family described Gorman as kind, generous, and full of life. She had been out with friends hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights when tragedy struck.
Federal officials say the suspect had multiple prior encounters with law enforcement but was repeatedly released.
DHS said Medina-Medina was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023 and released into the country under Biden administration policies.
He was arrested again in Chicago just weeks later for shoplifting but was released again.
"Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life," Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
"She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who released this illegal alien twice before he went on to commit this heinous murder."
The case has reignited debate over immigration enforcement and sanctuary policies in Chicago and Illinois, where laws limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officials.
ICE officials say there are more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens currently in state custody whose detainers are not being honored.
The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized Chicago's sanctuary policies, arguing they undermine public safety by preventing federal authorities from taking custody of dangerous offenders.
DHS officials contend that cases such as Gorman's highlight the real-world consequences of those policies.
Meanwhile, Gorman's family is demanding accountability, saying her death was preventable.
"When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract," the family said in a statement, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
"They are real. And in our case, they are permanent."
Chicago officials have not yet publicly responded to DHS' latest request.
Medina-Medina is expected to appear in court as the case proceeds.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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