The House Judiciary Committee’s recent hearing on sanctuary city policies escalated into a heated exchange between Representatives Mike Lawler of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland. The disagreement centered around accountability for the deaths involving illegal immigrants and anti-ICE activists.
Lawler criticized his colleagues, accusing them of indifference to the deaths of Laken Riley and Sheridan Gorman. These women were allegedly killed by illegal immigrants in separate incidents. Lawler pointed out the disparity in reaction compared to the vocal outrage concerning Renee Good and Alex Pretti. These anti-ICE protesters were shot by federal agents during law enforcement operations in Minnesota earlier this year.
Lawler stated, “The same outrage you feel about Renee Good and Alex Pretti, you should feel about Sheridan Gorman and Laken Riley and every Angel family in this country.” The situation prompted a sharp response from Raskin, who asserted his outrage, leading to a more confrontational exchange where Lawler rebuked Raskin for his support of sanctuary jurisdictions.
Raskin has been a vocal advocate of sanctuary policies, arguing they protect illegal immigrants from federal immigration authorities. He often contends that forcing local police to implement federal immigration laws is unconstitutional.
During the hearing, Lawler referenced his op-ed published on January 27 in the New York Times, where he discussed the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. He argued these events highlighted the ineffectiveness of the country’s current immigration enforcement measures and urged a reassessment of the tactics employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers.
“The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis were tragic and preventable,” Lawler wrote. “They should reassess their current tactics.”
The hearing featured emotional accounts from the relatives of Sheridan Gorman. Her family appeared in a segment on “The Story” to voice their concerns about her death and the need for change to prevent similar tragedies.
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