Republican congressman Mike Lawler and Democratic challenger Cait Conley clashed over sanctuary policies and immigration enforcement during a closely watched New York congressional debate, with the death of Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman at the centre of the dispute.
Gorman, an 18-year-old from Yorktown, New York, was shot and killed near the university’s Lake Shore campus on March 19 while she was with friends watching for the Northern Lights. A Venezuelan man, Jose Medina, has been charged in connection with her death.
Lawler argued that sanctuary policies had prevented local authorities from handing Medina over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an earlier shoplifting arrest. He said Gorman’s death was preventable and accused Conley of backing measures that restrict co-operation between local police and federal immigration officials.
“If you think he should have been deported when he was arrested for shoplifting, he should have been turned over to ICE,” Lawler said during the debate. He added that, under New York’s new law, local authorities would be barred from taking the same action in future cases.
Conley described Gorman’s killing as “an atrocious crime” and said the man accused of killing her should have been deported. She said she supported federal immigration enforcement and the removal of violent criminals, while repeatedly stressing that the shooting took place in Chicago rather than New York.
“My heart absolutely breaks, and what happened to Sheridan is inexcusable,” Conley said. “Government failed her, and for that we have to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”
Sanctuary policies become a defining issue in the race
The exchange followed questions from Gorman’s parents, Jessica and Tom, who asked the candidates whether they supported New York’s new restrictions on agreements between local law enforcement and ICE, and whether they would back federal legislation overriding state sanctuary laws.
Lawler gave an unequivocal response, saying he opposed the New York law and supported legislation to end sanctuary jurisdictions. Conley did not give a direct yes-or-no answer during the exchange, instead discussing border security, immigration enforcement and the need to prevent further tragedies.
The argument has become a central feature of the contest for New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Lawler is seeking another term against Conley, a former Army officer and Department of Homeland Security official. The politically competitive district includes Rockland and Putnam counties, parts of Westchester County and southern Dutchess County.
Loyola University Chicago has said Gorman was killed north of its Lake Shore Campus and that a suspect was charged with murder days later. The university has described her as a supportive and compassionate student whose death left the campus community grieving.
With immigration enforcement already a major issue in the campaign, both candidates have sought to present their positions as a response to the tragedy. Lawler has linked the case directly to sanctuary laws, while Conley has condemned the killing but defended the role of federal enforcement rather than endorsing a blanket expansion of local police involvement in immigration matters.
