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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has voiced his concerns about significant shortcomings in handling immigration issues, taking aim at former President Trump for not adhering to his own policies.
On Friday, 25-year-old Jose Medina was detained in connection with the fatal shooting of Sheridan Gorman, which occurred early Thursday at a pier in Chicago. Gorman, who was with friends at the time, was tragically killed. Medina, a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the U.S., was initially detained by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023. However, he was subsequently released under the Biden administration’s policies, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security.
Governor Pritzker, in a fresh statement, appeared to criticize the Trump administration, as highlighted by the Chicago Tribune.
The Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, has also recently enacted legislation approving physician-assisted suicide. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“This incident is a profound tragedy, and my heart goes out to the Gorman family for their immense suffering… There have been notable failures. These failures are not limited to Illinois but are national in scope. They represent a lack of comprehensive immigration reform and a shortfall on the part of the president in enforcing his own directive to prioritize action against the most dangerous individuals,” Pritzker stated on Tuesday.
Pritzker made the comments as homes in Yorktown Heights, New York, where Gorman is from, were lit up in green on Tuesday night in honor of the slain Loyola University Chicago student. Green is one of Yorktown’s school colors, according to CBS News.
“And in my view, we have a lot of work that we need to continue to do,” he added. “But it is the job of the federal government to go after immigration enforcement, and it is the job of our local and state law enforcement to prosecute or catch violent criminals and prosecute them, and we should continue to do that both on the state level and the national level.”
Sheridan Gorman smiles alongside the Chicago skyline in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
Illinois is considered a sanctuary state, and local law enforcement agencies are generally prohibited from participating in immigration enforcement.
“People are popping green lights on just to let the Gormans know that, you know, we’re all here for them, and we’re here for Sheridan and just our hearts are broken for them all,” New York Assemblyman Matt Slater said.
Jessica Gorman, Sheridan’s mother, told the New York Post outside her home on Tuesday, “We are gonna get justice for Sheridan.”
“We are really focusing this week specifically on burying our daughter. We are really focusing on the beauty of her life,” she said. “We are not addressing this man.”
Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, was also arrested for shoplifting and released before the alleged murder, DHS confirmed. (DHS)
In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, the Gorman family said they are disappointed with policies that allowed Medina to remain in the country.
“When systems fail—whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act—the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent,” the family wrote.
Sheridan Gorman, a New York native, was reportedly only a few months away from completing her freshman year at Loyola University Chicago in Illinois. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
An arrest report obtained by Fox News Digital shows that Medina was seen on security video in his apartment building’s lobby waiting for an elevator while unmasked after the alleged shooting. A building engineer told police that he knew the suspect who had a “very distinct limp and gait.”Â
Police said that Medina was wearing a black mask and black clothing as he walked away from the shooting, noting that he had a “distinct limp and slow gait.” He was seen walking from the location of the shooting to Pratt Boulevard at 1:12 a.m. Just a few minutes later, the individual was seen walking northbound through the east alley of Sheridan Road before he entered the back of his apartment complex.
Images of the suspect were sent to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina. He was arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park, according to the arrest report.
Medina told officials in 2023 that he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants. The city-sponsored shelter closed in 2024, according to South Side Weekly.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.