Parents of Teen Killed by Migrant Confront Candidates on Sanctuary Laws
A debate for a swing House district became heated as parents of a murder victim questioned candidates on New York's sanctuary law.
The parents of a teenage girl fatally shot by an undocumented immigrant confronted Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and his Democratic challenger, Cait Conley, on their stances regarding New York's sanctuary law during a televised debate Monday night.
Tom and Jessica Gorman, whose daughter Sheridan was killed in Chicago in March, submitted a question during the News 12 debate for the House seat representing New York's 17th Congressional District. Their daughter, an 18-year-old Loyola University freshman, was allegedly murdered by Jose Medina, a Venezuelan migrant with prior law enforcement encounters.
Tom Gorman asked the candidates whether they would support federal legislation to overturn state sanctuary laws, such as the one recently enacted in New York that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on detaining undocumented immigrants.
Conley called Sheridan's death "inexcusable" and stated that "government failed her." She emphasized her commitment to family safety, drawing on her background as an Army veteran and former military police officer. However, Conley did not directly state whether she would support repealing New York's sanctuary law, though her campaign website indicates support for revoking agreements that allow local police to assist ICE with immigration enforcement.
Lawler criticized Conley for not providing a direct answer, asserting that she supports Gov. Kathy Hochul's sanctuary law. He reiterated his own opposition to the law and stated his support for federal legislation to end such sanctuary jurisdictions.
Both candidates also discussed immigration, with Conley expressing concern over the Trump administration's revocation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants, while Lawler highlighted her support for this action.
The debate covered a range of other issues, including the economy, energy costs, foreign policy, artificial intelligence, Social Security, Medicaid, congestion pricing, and marijuana legalization. Both candidates agreed on repealing the congestion toll for entering Manhattan's business district, with Conley diverging from Governor Hochul on this point.
Conley advocated for renewable energy sources and criticized Trump administration policies, while Lawler supported reviving the Indian Point nuclear power plant and exploring natural gas extraction. Conley supported Hochul's moratorium on AI data center construction, while Lawler opposed it.
The 17th Congressional District race is considered a closely watched contest that could influence control of the House. Lawler is seeking his third term, while Conley, a U.S. Army veteran and former Department of Homeland Security official, is making her first bid for elected office.