Nearly a dozen 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 , 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 Gormans death could have been prevented if not for and if a law like the Laken Riley Act had been in effect sooner.
“Sheridan Gorman â just like Laken Riley and countless other American victims â would still be with us today and with their families if it were not for sanctuary politicians refusal to cooperate with ICE,” Bis said.
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 by President Donald Trump.
Schneider said at the time the Laken Riley Act used the students death to “score cheap political points.” He did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Nine of the 11 Democrats who voted “no” did not respond or did not provide comment, except Reps. and Jan Schakowsky of Evanston.
Jackson, the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, told Fox News Digital that Gormans murder is a “senseless tragedy.”
“My deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, and the entire community who are mourning this unspeakable loss. The person responsible for Sheridans murder must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“But lets be clear: this is about more than a single piece of legislation,” Jackson said in reference to the Laken Riley Act.
“I encourage my colleagues to prioritize bills that strengthen, not divide, our communities and policies which would build safer, thriving communities, and save lives, by investing in effective community-based violence interventions.”
A Schakowsky spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to a public statement by the retiring Democrat:
“There are no words for a loss like this. Sheridan Gorman was just 18 years old, with her whole life ahead of her. My heart is with her family, her friends, and every member of the Loyola community mourning this senseless tragedy,” Schakowsky said, while however offering no comment on the Laken Riley Act itself.
DHS was adamant that Gorman’s death was preventable had the Laken Riley Act been made law.
“These politicians would rather release criminal illegal aliens from jails into our communities to perpetuate more crimes and create more victims. Sheridan Gorman was failed by and sanctuary politicians who released this illegal alien twice before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” Bis told Fox News Digital.
She called on Illinois Gov. and
