Mothers of Victims Pledge Sustained Pressure on Lawmakers Over Sanctuary Policies

Tammy Nobles, a mother advocating for victims, issued a firm warning to lawmakers on Wednesday, stating that families of American citizens killed by individuals residing in the country without authorization will persist in their demands for congressional action on sanctuary city policies and immigration enforcement.

"If you guys don't do anything, it will continue to happen, and we will continue having those meetings, and we'll not be quiet and shut up about our children that were killed by illegal immigrants. We're not gonna stop, and you're gonna listen to us every single time if you want to or not."

Mothers Demand Congressional Action

Nobles' strong statements followed a widely noted, emotional testimony delivered by fellow advocate Jessica Gorman before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Jessica Gorman's daughter, 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago, was reportedly shot and killed by an individual unlawfully present in the country. The tragic incident occurred after Sheridan had gone to the Chicago lakefront with friends to observe the Northern Lights. Her grieving mother directly criticized leaders and politicians in sanctuary cities, asserting they failed to safeguard her daughter, and implored lawmakers to prioritize American citizens over undocumented immigrants.

"I'm just asking you to choose us. We choose you. Why does my child matter less than an illegal immigrant...? Every day, I wake up with unimaginable pain. I wake up in the middle of the night and I think, 'Did my daughter cry for me?' She made it 40 feet... running for her life. Did she cry out for me? She died on that pavement all by herself, lonely, bleeding on that pavement, and I will never, ever rest..."

Personal Tragedies Fuel Policy Debate

Nobles echoed a similar sentiment of profound pain and dissatisfaction with existing policies. In 2022, her daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was a victim of rape and strangulation by a known MS-13 gang member. Since this tragedy, Nobles has become a vocal advocate for other affected families, testifying before Congress to confront lawmakers whom she perceives as dismissive of policies she believes enable such offenses.

She recounted her experience of sharing Kayla's story in an effort to prevent future tragedies, stating that "the Democrats on the panel just say the same thing: 'I'm sorry for your loss' and 'We're tired of being [there].' Well, I'm sure you're tired of being in there. It's going to continue to happen [unless something changes]."