President Donald Trump on Monday slammed the Biden administration’s “open door” policies for the release of an illegal immigrant suspected of murdering 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman.
Trump’s comments came after 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was charged in the killing of Gorman, a student at Loyola University Chicago. Authorities say Medina approached Gorman on Thursday while she was watching the Northern Lights near a lakefront pier and opened fire, striking her as she tried to flee.
“It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast. That’s why ICE is so important. They are doing such a good job,” Trump told Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, part of the presidential press pool, on Monday morning. “This animal, I saw the whole thing last night. They gave me a briefing.”
.@MaryMargOlohan: Another young woman was killed by an illegal immigrant that was let in under Biden. Do you have a message for her family? @POTUS: “It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out…That’s why ICE is so important…” pic.twitter.com/74YM2RxX3h
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) March 23, 2026
Medina was released into the United States in May 2023 and had previously faced shoplifting charges, according to authorities. He was released by local officials following that incident.
“This person came in through the open-door policy of Joe Biden. We’re taking them out by the tens of thousands. We’re doing a great job. It’s a shame. They’ve hurt our country,” Trump said.
Credit: DHS.
Leftist Chicago Alderman Maria Hadden described the incident as Gorman being “at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Gorman’s family pushed back, saying she was in a safe area.
“She was walking with a group of friends near her dorm, in an area that was understood to be safe. There was nothing reckless about her actions,” the family said. “What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed,” they said.
The family added that the suspect should never have been free to roam the streets.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” they said. “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.”
Medina was expected to appear in court on Monday to face charges for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three felony counts of aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. However, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said Medina is currently hospitalized and unable to attend the detention hearing, NBC5 reported.
The Department of Homeland Security has urged Chicago officials not to release Medina.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life,” said Acting Assistant Homeland Security 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.”
