House hearing on sanctuary policies turns into shouting match over migrant crime victims

A Republican representative blamed federal border policies for the March 19 killing of a New York college student in Chicago during a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on sanctuary city policies. The representative said the accused shooter, described as an illegal migrant from Venezuela, had not been deported before the incident.

He also said the student had been in Chicago to view the northern lights with friends. The ranking Democratic member of the full Judiciary Committee interrupted and told the guest to leave, citing committee rules. The two exchanged shouted remarks about sanctuary policies and the deaths of other individuals.

Witness statement The mother of the slain student addressed the panel and asked when protecting American citizens ceased to be the first priority of lawmakers. She linked her daughter's death to border policies, sanctuary-city laws, and limits on cooperation with immigration enforcement.

A spokeswoman for the Democratic member later posted that the guest had been invited only to introduce a witness and had gone beyond that role. The Republican representative said he had previously written about two other victims mentioned during the exchange.