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The grieving parents of a teenage girl killed by an illegal migrant put New York’s sanctuary law on blast during a fiery congressional debate Monday night between Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democratic opponent Cait Conley for the House seat representing the lower Hudson Valley.
Tom and Jessica Gorman were among residents in the 17th House district to call into the televised debate on News 12 to ask the candidates a question.
Their daughter, Sheridan, an 18-year-old freshman Loyola University student in Chicago, was gunned down in cold blood by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant on March 19 while walking with friends along Lake Michigan. The defendant, Jose Medina, had previous run-ins with law enforcement but was set free before the deadly shooting.
As his wife Jessica choked back tears during the video call, Tom Gorman asked whether the candidates would support federal legislation that would undo so-called state sanctuary laws, such as the protections that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats enacted earlier this year.
That law bars local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers regarding the detention of migrants living in New York illegally.
Conley told the Gormans that Sheridan’s murder was “inexcusable” but refused to say whether or not she would be willing to scrap the Empire State’s new sanctuary law.
“Government failed her and for that we have to make sure that that doesn’t happen again,” said Conley, who noted, as an Army veteran, she had served as a military police officer.
“The safety and security of our families is something I will be unwavering in,” she added.
On her campaign website, Conley said she supports revoking so-called 287g agreements that allow local cops to assist ICE with immigration enforcement — in sum, backing New York’s sanctuary law.
Conley said she believes “border security is national security” and that immigration enforcement is essential to combat violent crime, terrorism, trafficking and gang violence, but condemned the Trump administration’s approach.
She complained that ICE under Trump is rounding up “people like grandmas and nurses and people in our communities” rather than focusing on criminal aliens.
Lawler pounced on Conley’s non-answer.
“Well, Jess and Tom, what you didn’t hear from Cait was an answer to your question. She does support Kathy Hochul’s new law,” Lawler said, reiterating his support for a federal law against states’ sanctuary laws.
“She would not support federal legislation to end sanctuary policies. Let me be very clear, I stand with you. I am against Kathy Hochul’s disastrous new law and I support any legislation that will end sanctuary jurisdictions in this country.”
But both pledged to support helping Haitian migrants whose temporary protected status was revoked by Trump in July. Conley blamed Lawler for not stopping the president’s action.
During the one-hour-long debate, Lawler and Conley fielded questions on numerous issues including the economy and tariffs, energy and utility costs, Israel and the Middle East, artificial intelligence and data centers, the solvency of Social Security and Medicaid, congestion pricing and even New York’s policy that legalized the sale of marijuana.
They agreed on a few issues — particularly in scrapping the $9 congestion toll to enter Manhattan’s business district. Conley broke with fellow Democrat Hochul, who has championed congestion pricing.
Conley said the cannabis law has been helpful to New York. Lawler said it’s hurt the state.
Lawler touted his advocacy for the law that lifted the cap on state and local tax deductions on federal tax (SALT) returns, which he claimed saved taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Conley rapped Lawler’s support of the Trump-Republican budget bills that trimmed spending on Medicaid and social services and said Trump’s tariffs were “reckless” and raised costs for constituents.
She said she would raise payroll taxes on Americans making more than $400,000 to preserve Social Security benefits.
Both candidates expressed strong support for Israel, including continuing military funding.
But Lawler asked Conley, “do you denounce [Mayor] Zohran Mamdani?” when complaining about the “antisemitic base” of the Democratic Party.
Conley shot back, “Do you denounce Donald Trump for the harm he’s caused to families in the Hudson Valley?”
The candidates repeated positions they had already laid out during the campaign.
Conley pushed renewable solar and wind power scaled back by the Trump administration to increase the energy supply.
Lawler championed reviving the Indian Point nuclear power plant and allowing gas extraction outlawed in New York to boost energy and help lower utility costs.
Conley endorsed Hochul’s one-year moratorium on construction of AI data centers in New York, while Lawler opposed it.
They both called each other liars for distorting their positions and Conley several times called Lawler a “lifelong political operative.”
Lawler and Conley are locked in a reported neck-and-neck race in a swing district that has become one of the most closely watched in the country — and could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.
The 17th Congressional District, which encompasses Rockland, Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, where a large portion of households have family members who are police officers, firefighters or veterans. About 20% of voters are Jewish.
Lawler, a former state assemblyman long active in GOP politics, is seeking a third term.
Conley is a US Army veteran and West Point graduate who worked in the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. It’s her first foray into politics after winning a five-way Democratic primary.
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