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 blocked the deportation of the illegal immigrant killer of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, Democratic senators dodged questions about whether Gorman’s killer should have been deported earlier before this month’s murder.

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

A short time later, Medina was arrested in Chicago on burglary charges but was released again on June 19, 2023, DHS said. According to the Chicago Sun Times, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Medina after Gorman failed to appear in court on a burglary charge that was still active at the time of her death.

Asked about Medina’s situation and whether he should have been deported before Gorman’s killing, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said, “Shoplifting is not a violent crime per se. It’s not an indication that a person is headed for violent crime.”

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“You’re asking me to speculate on a lot of things, and I can’t answer that,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev. When asked whether Gorman’s killer and other illegal immigrant killers who had serious criminal records at the time of their arrest should be deported before people get hurt. “I don’t know about the cases. I trust our justice system will do the right thing and hold people accountable.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said the Trump administration’s broad crackdown on deportations has prevented federal law enforcement from targeting truly dangerous people; It’s an argument made by other top Democrats in Congress. “I think if Trump had cleaned up Chicago and ICE had done their job, he wouldn’t be here, right?” Duckworth said as she entered an elevator on Capitol Hill. “But they deported people who were not… [unintelligible]”

Meanwhile, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., offered a more reasonable response but also suggested that the Trump administration’s manner of deporting people is problematic.

“Do I think violent criminals should be deported? Yes,” Slotkin said, adding that it was an “easy” call to deport someone who was “charged and properly prosecuted.” But Slotkin added: “Innocent civilians protesting their government and exercising their freedom of expression should not be fingered and expelled.”

Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital were quick to agree that violent criminals who enter and reside in the country illegally should be deported.

From left to right: Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. and You. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. (Getty Images)

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“Anyone who violates or creates a crime in this country, especially one who kills someone, should not only be held accountable in the United States, but yes, immigration enforcement should also be taken against that person,” Cortez-Masto said.

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

Meanwhile, Durbin continued his comments regarding the theft accusation in Medina by saying, “We need to carefully examine those who come to this country and those who want to stay in this country,” adding: “If they are dangerous to society, they should not be allowed to enter or they should be removed from the country later.”

But Republican Senators Cruz and Scott were quick to criticize Democrats for allegedly 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 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 15, 2025. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

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“This was tragic and preventable,” Cruz said when approached about Gorman’s death and Medina’s failure to deport her. “Democrats are so radical that they prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens.”

“It’s disgusting that these people are saying, ‘Oh, they’re acting like they care about Americans.’ But then you look at their actions; they care about the people here who are violently harming Americans,” Scott complained.