The mother of an 18-year-old college student taken from her family by an illegal immigrant in Chicago stood at the RNC midterm convention Thursday and delivered a message that cut through the partisan noise.
Jessica Gorman, joined by her husband Tom and surviving daughter Madeline, quoted advice from a fellow angel mom that brought the Dallas crowd to its feet.
“A fellow angel mom, Patti Fox, recently said you need to love America, Americans more than you hate Trump. Patti, God bless you and your daughter, Carissa. You are so right. We need to love our country and our children enough to come together regardless of which party or person is in charge. We do.”
The call for unity over partisan divisions reflects a growing frustration among families affected by crimes committed by individuals in the country illegally. These families argue that public safety should transcend political allegiances and that preventing such tragedies requires a willingness to address border security and immigration enforcement regardless of which party controls the government.
Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University freshman, was walking with friends to see the Northern Lights around 1 a.m. on March 19 when Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina allegedly approached her wearing a black mask and opened fire as she tried to run.
She was 18 years old.
The loss of a young life just beginning her college journey has become emblematic of the debate over immigration enforcement policies. Sheridan’s death has raised pointed questions about how individuals flagged as risks are processed and monitored after crossing the border illegally.
Medina-Medina crossed the border illegally in May 2023 and was released into the country under the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policy. Border Patrol agents flagged him as “likely to abscond” in federal documents later released by the House Judiciary Committee, noting he had no close family ties in the U.S.
The catch-and-release policy has become one of the most contentious aspects of current border enforcement. Critics argue that releasing individuals into the interior of the country, particularly those assessed as flight risks, creates public safety hazards and undermines the integrity of the immigration system. The assessment that Medina-Medina was likely to abscond, combined with his subsequent actions, has intensified scrutiny of how such determinations are made and what follow-up measures exist.
The Venezuelan national then made his way to Chicago — a sanctuary city — where he allegedly shoplifted from a Macy’s that September. Medina-Medina skipped his court hearing. Authorities issued a warrant.
Sanctuary city policies, which generally limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, have become a flashpoint in the immigration debate. Supporters argue these policies build trust between immigrant communities and police, while critics contend they shield individuals who have committed crimes from proper immigration enforcement. The Gorman case has reignited debate over whether these policies prioritize ideology over public safety.
He was still walking the streets when Sheridan died.
Tom Gorman called out the sanctuary policies that “stole our daughter from us.”
“We don’t want anyone else to have to hold the cold hand of their daughter and know that it was 100% preventable because the person who killed her should not have been in this country and should not have been released after committing a crime.”
The father’s anguish speaks to what the family views as a series of policy failures — from the initial release despite risk assessments, to the lack of consequences for the shoplifting incident, to the inability to execute the warrant before tragedy struck. Each decision point, they argue, represented an opportunity to prevent what happened to their daughter.
The grieving father made his plea directly to voters across the aisle.
“I’m begging you, whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent, do not wait until this becomes your story. Every vote counts, especially now,” Tom said.
His appeal underscores the family’s belief that immigration policy and border security should be evaluated on practical outcomes rather than partisan positioning. By addressing voters of all political affiliations, Tom Gorman framed his daughter’s death not as a political talking point but as a preventable tragedy that transcends the usual divisions of American politics.
The Gorman family’s appearance comes as angel moms — mothers who’ve lost children to illegal immigrant crime — have become some of the most powerful voices in the border debate. Patti Fox, whom Jessica quoted, lost her daughter Carissa to an illegal immigrant in a separate case.
The term “angel mom” has come to represent parents who have lost children in crimes involving individuals in the country illegally. These families have increasingly taken public roles in advocating for stricter immigration enforcement, testifying before Congress, speaking at political events, and sharing their stories in media appearances. Their personal testimonies carry emotional weight that statistics and policy papers often cannot match in the ongoing national conversation about border security.
The RNC midterm convention in Dallas continues through the weekend.
