Illinois State Representative Chris G. Miller said on April 17 that House Bill 5521, which seeks to restrict law enforcement use of biometric identification systems, is ‘clearly designed to protect illegal immigrants.’
The statement comes in response to the recent murder of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University student who was killed in Chicago. The suspect, Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national living in the country illegally, was identified and apprehended with the help of facial recognition technology according to multiple news reports on the investigation. Chicago police used this technology after the shooting at Rogers Park pier, highlighting its role in local law enforcement efforts according to ABC7 Chicago.
Miller said, ‘Chicago law enforcement agencies swiftly tracked down Jose Medina-Medina with the aid of facial recognition software. Without the biometric reading software capturing the suspect would have been delayed and may have easily led to additional serious crimes being committed. House Democrats want to ban all law enforcement agencies from using biometric identification systems. HB5521 is clearly designed to protect illegal immigrants,’ according to his official Facebook post for Illinois House District 101 as reported by Illinois General Assembly records.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that Medina-Medina entered the United States illegally in 2023 and had previously been arrested for shoplifting in Chicago before being released into the interior. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer requesting local authorities not release him prior to his murder charge. Federal data show similar cases where individuals with prior encounters reoffend after release under current policies according to DHS.
Miller has represented Illinois House District 101 since January 2023 and serves as chairman of the Illinois Freedom Caucus while operating a family farm in Hindsboro according to Ballotpedia. He was elected as a Republican replacing previous state representative Reggie Phillips.
