Families, lawmakers condemn Gov. Hochul's 'Local Cops, Local Crimes Act' outside Yorktown police station
The pushback follows the death of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Yorktown college student who was shot and killed while walking with friends near her college campus in Chicago.
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A grieving family, local community members and elected officials gathered outside the Yorktown Police Department to speak out against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s "Local Cops, Local Crimes Act." The law will bar local police departments from partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The pushback follows the death of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Yorktown college student who was shot and killed while walking with friends near her college campus in Chicago.
The suspect in the shooting, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
"I worry that another parent will one day collapse on their child's empty bed, begging God, screaming into their pillow, because the same politicians made the same mistakes," said Jessica Gorman, mother of Sheridan Gorman.
Jessica Gorman argues that her daughter's death might have been prevented if not for sanctuary policies in cities and states like Chicago and New York.
Political figures from across the state joined the family in demanding the law be reconsidered.
"Stop tying the hands of our local police. Stop forcing sanctuary policies on our towns and villages and stop putting politics ahead of public safety," said Rep. Mike Lawler.
"An 18-year-old daughter at the beginning of her life. Gunned down by someone who should not have been in this country," said Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.
Under the legislation, police departments will have to comply or lose state law enforcement funding.
A spokesperson for Hochul's office sent News 12 a statement about the issue.
"The murder of Sheridan Gorman is a tragedy, and if found guilty, the man responsible should serve the maximum sentence and then be deported. But the way we keep New Yorkers safe is by focusing our local law enforcement on actual criminals, not assisting in ICE operations that harass innocent people and split apart families. While other elected officials choose to politicize this terrible crime, Governor Hochul has actually invested in public safety and continues to make New York safer," the spokespeson wrote.
