The mother of Sheridan Gorman sharply criticized Democratic lawmakers who support sanctuary city policies Thursday, calling out several members for their behavior during a recent congressional hearing where she testified about her daughter's tragic death.
Jessica Anne Gorman recounted the March 2026 death of her 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student during a gathering in Washington, D. C. Top Justice Department and administration officials, including Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, border czar Tom Homan and drug czar Sara Carter, were on hand to honor the victims of violent crime.
Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed while visiting friends near a pier and lighthouse in Chicago. Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national who entered the U. S. illegally and was previously released after a shoplifting arrest in Chicago, has been charged with her murder.
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During her remarks, Jessica Gorman criticized Democratic lawmakers who advocate for shielding immigrants in the country illegally from federal immigration enforcement.
She recalled testifying at a House hearing on sanctuary policies , saying she could hear laughter from lawmakers as she spoke about losing her daughter.
"And I thought to myself, ‘Boy, the hits just keep on coming,’" Jessica Gorman said Thursday.
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She specifically called out Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash., who had remarked during the hearing that it was the fourth of its kind and that there were "many other things we could be doing."
"We were all insulted by Democrat Representative Jayapal telling me — literally telling me — and all the other angel families in the room ... with disdain on her face, that there's other things they could be doing except listening to four sessions," Jessica Gorman said.
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"They give us five minutes to tell our daughter's story," Jessica Gorman added. "Our dead children's story. She listened to four before mine. She didn't want to listen to another. And, honestly, I think she should listen to everyone in this room."
Gorman also accused Rep. Jerry Nadler , D-N. Y., of napping during the proceedings.
Also speaking at the event was Stephen Federico , the father of Logan Federico, who was killed while visiting friends at the University of South Carolina. Stephen voiced intense frustration with the broader criminal justice system.
Alexander Dickey, 30, a career criminal with dozens of prior arrests, is accused of shooting and killing Logan Federico during a home break-in.
"My daughter wasn't killed by an illegal alien ," Stephen Federico said. "She was killed by a home-grown American career criminal that we arrested 39 damn times. And he was on the street. Tell me that makes sense.
"Can anyone tell me, please, how a felon like that is left on the street," he added. "It's from fingerprint problems. It's from process problems. It's from weak judges. It's from weak prosecutors."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jayapal's office for comment.