Let’s talk about what happens when a city’s leaders decide that federal law enforcement is the enemy. Not crime. Not gangs. Not the people pulling triggers in residential neighborhoods. No — the real villain, apparently, is the agency responsible for removing violent illegal immigrants from American streets. That’s the operating philosophy in Chicago right now, and it’s getting people killed.

Sanctuary city governance has real consequences. They aren’t theoretical, and they aren’t abstract anymore. They come with a name, a face, and a shattered family. But rather than pause for even a flicker of genuine self-examination, Chicago’s mayor has turned immigration obstruction into something resembling a pep rally. The man simply cannot read a room.

From The Post Millennial:

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is doubling down on protecting illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement just days after the killing of 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman, for which an illegal immigrant from Venezuela is in custody…

“I want to take this moment to reiterate that Chicago does not want ICE on our streets, in our airports, nor in our city. Chicago believes in abolishing ICE.”

“This tragedy is not going to deter us from our work. In fact, it’s going to challenge us all to double down on our efforts to ensure that we are protecting every single individual across neighborhoods.”

Those words came out of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s mouth on Wednesday, as he stood proudly beside a city snowplow freshly christened “Abolish ICE.” The name was selected from 13,000 public submissions in a civic naming contest. Cute. Less than a week earlier, 18-year-old Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman was shot dead while walking near campus with friends. The man charged with her killing? An illegal immigrant from Venezuela.

A death that didn’t have to happen

Jose Medina-Medina is 25 years old. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023, then released into the country under the Biden administration. He once lived in a city-sponsored migrant shelter in Rogers Park — the very same Chicago neighborhood where Gorman was gunned down. According to the Department of Homeland Security, sanctuary politicians released Medina twice before the fatal shooting.

Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis didn’t mince words: “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.”

Meanwhile, at the snowplow celebration, one man tried to confront Johnson — accusing him of cheerleading the policies that endanger residents. Security removed him. Dissent handled. Back to the festivities.

Even Democrats aren’t buying it

Here’s what tells you the situation has gone sideways: Johnson is losing members of his own party. Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez — a Democrat — called Gorman’s death “100% avoidable.” He demanded a wholesale change in the mindset that shields noncitizens even after they commit violent crimes. That’s not a Republican talking point. That’s a Democratic elected official in Chicago saying enough is enough.

Community activist P-Rae Easley went further on Fox News: “Please, President Trump, come save us. Sheridan didn’t deserve to die, and we don’t want more American blood to be spilled on the sidewalk by these invaders.”

And then there’s the Gorman family, whose statement should stop every deflecting politician cold: “Our daughter is not a policy debate. She is a life that was taken, and that demands accountability.”

Pointing fingers everywhere but the mirror

So what did Chicago and Illinois leadership do with all this criticism? Exactly what you’d expect. They blamed someone else. Johnson pointed to “illegal weapons trafficked from bordering states that voted for Donald Trump.” Governor Pritzker acknowledged “real failures” — then immediately insisted they were national in scope. Not his department, apparently.

Think about that for a second. These leaders actively obstruct ICE operations, block federal detainer requests, and declare their city an enforcement-free zone — then turn around and blame Washington for not enforcing immigration law. You almost have to admire the audacity. Almost.

On Tuesday night, homes across Yorktown Heights, New York — Sheridan Gorman’s hometown — glowed green in her memory. She was eighteen years old. She was walking with her friends, doing exactly what college freshmen are supposed to do. She should still be here. And she would be, if the people elected to keep her safe hadn’t decided that protecting an ideology mattered more than protecting her life.

Key Takeaways

• Mayor Johnson unveiled an “Abolish ICE” snowplow days after a student’s murder by an alleged illegal immigrant
• The suspect was caught and released twice before fatally shooting 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman
• Even Democratic officials are condemning Chicago’s sanctuary policies as directly endangering residents
• City leaders blamed Trump and Congress rather than confronting their own obstruction of federal enforcement

Sources: The Post Millennial, AOL