WATCH: Dems unclear on whether alleged illegal immigrant murderer should’ve been deported

While Republican senators, such as Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida, were quick to condemn policies that prevented the deportation of the undercover killer of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, Democratic senators sidestepped the question of whether Gorman’s killer should have been deported before this month’s killing.

Gorman, who was a student at Loyola University Chicago at the time of her death, was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, 25-year-old Jose Medina. Medina was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 9, 2023, but was later released into the United States under the Biden administration, according to Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.

Shortly after, Medina was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago, but was released again on June 19, 2023, DHS said. A judge issued a warrant for Medina’s arrest after he failed to appear in court on his shoplifting charge, which was still pending at the time of Gorman’s murder, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

“Shoplifting in and of itself is not a violent crime. It’s not an indicator of someone leaning toward violent crime,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, when asked about Medina’s case and whether he should have been deported before Gorman’s killing.

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Sheridan Gorman (left) allegedly murdered by Jose Medina (right) (Sheridan Gorman/Instagram and Cook County Sheriff’s Office)

“You’re asking me to speculate on a bunch of things, and I can’t answer that,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, Democrat of Nevada, when asked whether Gorman’s killer and other illegal immigrant killers who had significant criminal records at the time of their arrest should have been deported before people were hurt. “I don’t know the cases. I trust our justice system to do the right thing and hold people accountable.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, responded that the Trump administration’s sweeping eviction crackdowns have prevented federal law enforcement from targeting truly dangerous people, an argument made by other leading Democrats in Congress. “I think if Trump had emptied Chicago and ICE was doing its job, he wouldn’t be here, right?” Duckworth said as she boarded an elevator on Capitol Hill. “But they expelled people who are not… [unintelligible]”.

Meanwhile, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan, offered a more sensible response, but also suggested that the way the Trump administration is deporting people is problematic.

“Do I think violent criminals should be deported? Yes,” Slotkin said, adding that it was “easy” to deport someone who has been “charged and prosecuted.” But, Slotkin added, “innocent civilians who protest the government and use their freedom of expression should not be singled out or expelled.”

Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital quickly agreed that violent criminals who have entered and reside in the country illegally should be deported.

From left: Senator Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada. (Getty Images)

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“Anyone who violates or creates a crime in this country – especially killing someone – should not only be held accountable in the United States, but, yes, there should be immigration enforcement against that individual,” Cortez-Masto said.

“Every community deserves to feel safe, and I believe people who commit violent crimes should not be allowed to be in our country or in our communities,” added Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md.

Durbin, meanwhile, qualified his comments on Medina’s shoplifting charge by admitting, “We should take a hard look at who comes into this country and who wants to stay,” adding that “if they are dangerous to the community, they should be denied entry or removed from the country later.”

But Republican senators Cruz and Scott were quick to criticize Democrats, accused of caring more about illegal immigrants than American citizens.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) holds a press conference with families who lost loved ones in the January 29, 2025 DCA plane crash, December 15, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

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“It’s tragic, and it was preventable,” Cruz said when asked about Gorman’s death and Medina’s non-deportation. “The Democrats are so radical that they prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens.”

“It’s disgusting that these people say, ‘Oh, they act like they care about Americans.’ But then if you look at their actions, they care about the people who are here violently hurting Americans,” Scott complained.