Biden Released Him, Now A Woman is Dead

A Chicago freshman’s death is reigniting a hard question many Americans have asked for years: why were repeat-release immigration and sanctuary policies allowed to put the public at risk?

Quick Take

DHS identified the suspect in the Loyola University Chicago killing as a Venezuelan national who was apprehended at the border in May 2023 and released into the U.S.
Authorities say the suspect was later arrested for shoplifting in Chicago in June 2023 and released again; he allegedly missed court, leaving an outstanding warrant.
The victim, 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman of New York, was shot around 1 a.m. March 19, 2026, near Loyola’s lakefront campus as she walked with friends.
DHS lodged an ICE detainer and publicly urged Illinois officials not to release the suspect, intensifying the federal vs. sanctuary-city clash.

What Police and DHS Say Happened Near Loyola’s Lakefront

Chicago police arrested 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina in connection with the March 19 shooting death of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, according to reporting that includes law-enforcement details and DHS statements. Investigators said Gorman was walking with friends near the lakefront around 1 a.m. when a masked man dressed in black approached; one shot was fired as she tried to flee. Reports said surveillance video and a distinct limp helped identify the suspect.

School officials described a community in mourning after the killing near campus, while Gorman’s family publicly called for accountability. Reporting identified Gorman as a business student involved in the Christian group Cru, and relatives said they did not want her death treated as “just another case.” Police have not publicly established a motive in the information available so far, and early accounts described the incident as an apparent robbery-murder without definitive charging details beyond the arrest.

The Suspect’s Immigration Timeline and the “Catch-and-Release” Question

DHS said Medina-Medina was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and released into the United States under Biden-era border processing policies that relied heavily on alternatives to detention. DHS further said he was arrested again in Chicago on June 19, 2023, for shoplifting at a Macy’s and released from local custody. Subsequent reporting said he failed to appear for a shoplifting hearing, leaving an outstanding warrant as of September 2023.

Those dates matter because they turn a tragic crime story into a policy stress test. The federal government can apprehend an illegal entrant, but when enforcement leans on notices to appear and monitoring instead of detention, and when local jurisdictions release repeat offenders, the system depends on compliance that is never guaranteed. The available reporting does not specify which official made each release decision, but it does document a sequence of multiple encounters with authorities before the alleged murder.

Sanctuary City Limits: Why ICE Detainers Often Become Optional

DHS said it lodged an ICE detainer and publicly urged Illinois officials not to release Medina-Medina. That request lands in a state and city environment that has limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement for decades, with Chicago’s sanctuary posture dating back to the 1980s and reinforced by more recent executive actions from city leadership. In practical terms, critics argue these rules make detainers easier to ignore, while supporters argue they protect residents’ due process and local priorities.

The tension now is less about rhetoric than mechanics: if local officials treat detainers as discretionary, federal agents may lose the chance to take custody at the moment a suspect would otherwise be released. DHS’s unusual public pressure campaign signals concern that standard procedures are not enough in high-profile cases. As of the latest reporting in the research provided, the suspect remained in local custody, and arraignment details were still emerging.

Why This Case Echoes Earlier Crimes Linked to Repeat Releases

Analysts and immigration hawks have compared this case to other high-profile crimes where suspects were allegedly released despite prior encounters with law enforcement. The research provided points to the 2024 killing of Laken Riley as a frequently cited precedent in debates over alternatives to detention and repeat non-detained releases after arrests. Separately, federal prosecutors have pursued illegal firearm possession cases involving Venezuelan nationals, underscoring that immigration status, criminal history, and local release practices can intersect in dangerous ways.

DHS Identifies Chicago Murder Suspect As Venezuelan National Released by Biden Admin in 2023
https://t.co/dNFsxVpsNi

— Townhall Updates (@TownhallUpdates) March 22, 2026

For conservatives focused on public safety and limited-government competence, the key takeaway is straightforward: enforcement systems that rely on paperwork, court dates, and voluntary compliance can fail catastrophically when offenders ignore the process. The research available does not prove that any single policy “caused” this crime, and prosecutors will ultimately litigate guilt in court. But the documented timeline—border apprehension and release, a later arrest and release, and an outstanding warrant—shows how policy choices can narrow the margin for error.