Rep. Davidsmeyer Exposes Public Safety Failures of Gov. Pritzker’s Sanctuary State Policies

SPRINGFIELD - Reacting to the murder of a Loyola student by an illegal immigrant on Chicago’s lakefront, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) exposed the many public safety failures of Governor JB Pritzker’s sanctuary state policies.

Last week, in a devastating act of violence, a Loyola University student was tragically shot and killed by an illegal immigrant who had an outstanding arrest warrant. It is yet another deadly consequence of Governor Pritzker’s failed sanctuary and public safety policies.

On March 19, 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed on the Chicago lakefront, a place Governor Pritzker often claims is safe, by an illegal immigrant with prior offenses who was allowed to stay on our streets.

The alleged murderer, Jose Medina, is a Venezuelan national who was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol and released into the country under the Biden Administration’s Open Border Policy. He was then released again on June 19, 2023, following an arrest for shoplifting in Chicago.

At a Capitol press conference Tuesday, State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer discussed how Illinois got here and detailed the public safety failures of Gov. Pritzker and Democrat leadership in Springfield.

“We need to remember how we got here,” Rep. Davidsmeyer said. “None of this happened by accident. This is the direct result of years of failed leadership and misguided priorities. If the borders weren’t open, if these violent criminals weren’t here illegally, Sheridan Gorman and other victims would be alive today. You cannot argue that fact.”

This is just the latest example of how Governor Pritzker’s sanctuary policies and the SAFE-T Act are failing Illinois families. Under Gov. Pritzker and Democratic leadership, we’ve seen:

• Failed sanctuary state policies that, combined with Biden’s Open Border Policy, led to a surge of 550,000 illegal immigrants into Illinois
• More than $3 billion in taxpayer funds being spent on health care and other benefits for illegal immigrants
• A string of horrific crimes committed by violent offenders who were in this country illegally

Sheridan Gorman’s murder is not the first such incident of violent crime committed by illegal immigrants:

• Katie Abraham, and her friend Chloe Polzin, were killed in January 2025 in Urbana when a drunk driver who was an undocumented immigrant struck their car.
• Baltazar Perez-Estrada was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors said he stabbed Maricela Simon Franco, dozens of times, killing her in front of their children.
• Edwin Pacheco-Meza was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after Illinois State Police said a crash killed an Illinois couple.
• ABC7 reported Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, described by DHS as living in the U.S. illegally, was charged with concealment of a death, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice after Megan Bos, 37, was found dead in a container on his property.

“Governor Pritzker must be held accountable for these public safety failures,” Rep. Davidsmeyer said. “On his watch, we’ve seen a steady embrace of anti-police rhetoric and policies leading to open hostility towards law enforcement and ICE agents; sanctuary state policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement; and billions in spending with little transparency or accountability. We cannot continue down this path.

“It’s time to restore balance. It’s time to restore accountability. And most importantly, it’s time to restore public safety in Illinois.”

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