A House hearing on the victims of sanctuary city policies devolved into a heated exchange Tuesday between Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). The confrontation occurred as Lawler was detailing the case of Sheridan Gorman, a New York teenager allegedly murdered by an undocumented migrant in Chicago.
Lawler accused Democrats of interrupting him and expressed frustration that they seemed less concerned with the victims of migrant crime than with other issues. He pointed to Gorman's death on March 19 as a consequence of the Biden administration's immigration policies.
"You may not want to hear the details. It may be an inconvenience to you, but the details matter," Lawler stated after Rep. Pramila Jayapal raised a point of order regarding the length of his statement. Lawler was seeking to introduce Gorman's mother, Jessica Gorman, who later testified about her daughter's death.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, had asked Lawler to conclude his remarks, referencing an agreement on the hearing's format. Lawler responded by calling sanctuary city policies a disgrace.
"When you send your kid to college, you should be worried about making sure they go to class or hopefully that they have a nice roommate or how to help them get a summer internship. Not worried that illegal immigrants are shooting them while they’re out with their friends looking at the northern lights," Lawler said.
He further contended that the outrage Democrats expressed over the deaths of anti-ICE protesters Alex Pretti and Renée Good should be mirrored for victims like Gorman and Laken Riley. Raskin countered that he did feel that outrage, which Lawler disputed, linking the sentiment to a lack of opposition to sanctuary policies.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Lawler exclaimed.
Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, then told Lawler, who was not a committee member, to "get the hell out" of the hearing room as the shouting escalated. Raskin accused Lawler of not understanding the committee's rules or the Constitution.
"You’re an absolute disgrace for supporting sanctuary policies," Lawler retorted.
According to a spokesperson for Raskin, the Maryland Democrat's reaction was justified because Lawler, as a guest, had gone on a tangent and "sullied the names" of Pretti and Good. The spokesperson added that Lawler appeared more focused on a "Fox moment" than on Raskin's opening remarks, noting that Raskin had acknowledged the witnesses' losses.
Jessica Gorman, in her opening statement, questioned lawmakers about when protecting American citizens ceased to be their priority. "This story is about my Sheridan. It’s about how failed border policies, sanctuary-city laws and twisted leaders refusing to cooperate with ICE sent her to her grave. It’s about a government and politicians that forgot their first priority," she said.