On June 30, 2026, a House Judiciary Committee hearing on sanctuary city policies escalated into a heated confrontation between Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). The two lawmakers accused each other of indifference toward the deaths of Americans related to illegal immigration and federal law enforcement actions.

During the hearing, Lawler criticized some colleagues for what he described as apathy toward the deaths of Laken Riley and Sheridan Gorman, two women allegedly killed by illegal immigrants in separate incidents. He contrasted this with their expressed outrage over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two anti-ICE protesters who were shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota earlier this year while allegedly interfering with law enforcement operations.

Lawler stated, "So while some of my colleagues may not want to hear the truth, 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."

Raskin responded by questioning Lawler's stance, asking, "Do you feel the outrage of Renee Good and Alex Pretti?" He described their deaths as "tragic and preventable," emphasizing that the shootings highlighted failures in the country's approach to immigration enforcement.

The exchange intensified with Lawler accusing Raskin of supporting sanctuary jurisdictions and telling him, "You should be ashamed of yourself, Jamie. You're a disgrace." Raskin retorted sharply, telling Lawler, "You don't belong on this committee. You should get the hell out of here!"

The hearing underscored deep partisan divisions over sanctuary city policies and immigration enforcement, with both representatives highlighting different victims connected to the broader debate.

Sources