Illinois State Representative David Friess called on Mar. 31 for an end to sanctuary policies in Illinois, following the death of Sheridan Gorman, who was killed by an undocumented immigrant earlier in March.
Friess said the tragedy could have been prevented and criticized state leadership for what he described as prioritizing undocumented immigrants over citizens. He cited statements from the governor, including: “I am going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants. They are residents of our state.”
The press release also referenced federal efforts under President Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Midway Blitz to remove undocumented immigrants from Illinois and Chicago. According to Friess, the governor responded at the time with: “If you come for my people, you come through me.”
After Gorman’s death, Friess said the governor shifted blame toward federal authorities. The governor was quoted as saying: “This has been a terrible tragedy, and I know that the Gorman family has suffered mightily… There have been real failures. Those failures, of course, extend beyond Illinois’s borders. That’s a national failure, a failure to have comprehensive immigration reform, a failure of the president to follow his own edict to go after the worst of the worst.”
Friess argued that current policies should be changed: “It’s time to end these dangerous sanctuary policies. This includes repealing the SAFE-T Act, the TRUST Act, and terminating Illinois’ sanctuary state status.”
Friess is a Republican who was elected in 2023 to represent Illinois’s 115th House District in place of former representative Nathan Reitz according to public records.
