The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Mar. 22 that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer for Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national accused of killing 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University student, in Chicago.
The case has drawn attention due to Medina-Medina's previous releases from custody and the ongoing debate over sanctuary policies in Chicago and Illinois. ICE is urging Governor J.B. Pritzker and local officials not to release Medina-Medina back into the community.
According to the department, Gorman was shot and killed early Thursday morning while walking with friends in a park. Authorities allege that Medina-Medina approached her wearing a mask and armed with a gun before shooting her as she tried to flee. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Medina-Medina had previously been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, and released under current federal policies. He was arrested again for shoplifting in Chicago on June 19, 2023, but was released once more.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. 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,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”
In December 2025, ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul requesting that state authorities honor ICE arrest detainers for more than 4,000 individuals in custody for serious offenses including murder and weapons charges.
DHS stated that its law enforcement agencies continue efforts to protect communities from similar incidents across the country. The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office is available for those seeking support.
