It's Time to End Qualified Immunity for Officials Who Let Dangerous Criminals Back on the Street

"It's Time to End Qualified Immunity for Officials Who Let Dangerous Criminals Back on the Street."

- Mark Lamb

A grieving mother stood before Congress and asked a question no parent should ever have to ask. Sheriff Mark Lamb had an answer, and it wasn't sympathy alone. It was a plan.

On July 1, 2026, Sheriff Mark Lamb joined Newsmax National Report to respond to the murder of Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University student allegedly killed by an individual who was in the country illegally and had active outstanding warrants at the time. Lamb's message was direct. Politicians and judges who shield dangerous criminals from consequences must be held personally accountable when American families pay the price.

A Mother's Grief Becomes a National Reckoning

Sheridan Gorman's mother, Jessica Gorman, delivered emotional testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee on sanctuary policies. She asked directly why sanctuary policies were treated as more important than her daughter's life, and why cooperation with immigration enforcement was considered too much to ask.

"Ask me why cooperation with ICE was too much to ask for, but asking American parents to bury our children is somehow acceptable."

- Jessica Gorman

Sheridan's story is not an isolated tragedy. It is the latest name on a growing list of Americans harmed by policies that prioritize protecting people in the country illegally over protecting American citizens. For Arizona families living along the border, this story is painfully familiar. It's exactly why Sheriff Lamb has spent his career fighting for real accountability, not empty promises.

Sheriff Lamb's Response: End Qualified Immunity for Reckless Officials

When asked to respond to Illinois leadership deflecting blame onto "national failures," Sheriff Lamb didn't mince words. He pointed to a pattern he's seen for years. Politicians who refuse to take responsibility when their policies get people killed.

Lamb's solution is simple and just. Strip qualified immunity from judges and politicians who knowingly allow dangerous criminals, especially those here illegally, back onto the streets, where they go on to harm American citizens. Under Lamb's proposal, officials who make those decisions could face civil and even criminal liability.

For too long, the people making life and death decisions about public safety have faced zero personal consequences when those decisions go wrong. Sheriff Lamb's proposal flips that script. If you have the power to protect American families and you choose politics over public safety, you will be held accountable, just like anyone else.

A Pattern Repeats Across the Country

Sheridan Gorman's murder is part of a larger, documented pattern of sanctuary policies colliding with public safety. House Republicans are advancing legislation that would create legal liability for sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. President Trump has repeatedly called out Illinois Governor JB Pritzker over rising crime in Chicago and the state's refusal of federal assistance.

Arizona knows this fight better than almost any state in the country. Our communities live the consequences of a broken border and weak sanctuary style policies every day. Sheriff Lamb's record, built on decades on the front lines of Arizona law enforcement, is exactly why he's leading this conversation in Congress instead of just talking about it.

What Sheriff Lamb Wants Congress To Do

Sheriff Lamb's position is clear and actionable:

• End qualified immunity for judges and elected officials whose decisions directly enable harm to American citizens

• Support legislation holding sanctuary jurisdictions legally accountable for non-cooperation with ICE

• Demand real consequences, not just statements of sympathy, when preventable tragedies occur

• Put American families and American children first, every time, without exception

Sheridan Gorman should be alive today. Her family deserves more than condolences from the people whose policies failed her. They deserve a Congress willing to act.

God. Family. Freedom.