Facial Recognition Caught Alleged Student Killer but New Illinois Bill Could Ban It Forever
In 2023, Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, entered the U.S., was caught by Border Patrol, and released under the Biden administration — later living in a Chicago migrant shelter.
On Feb 6, Democrat State Rep. Kelly Cassidy introduced HB5521 in Illinois — a bill to ban all biometric surveillance tools for law enforcement, including facial recognition, fingerprint matching, and iris scanners.
On March 19 at 1:06 a.m., 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman was allegedly shot and killed on a pier. Loved ones described her as someone who radiated “unmistakable warmth.”
Detectives used surveillance cameras near the murder scene and ran images through facial recognition. U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina-Medina — a building engineer also recognized his distinct limp and gait.
Medina-Medina was arrested at his Rogers Park apartment on Friday. Retired Chicago Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy confirmed facial recognition was critical — without it, the arrest would have been “absolutely” delayed.
Roy warned the bill would be “crippling” for detective work. Gorman’s family blamed failed policies for her death. Cassidy defended the bill, calling facial recognition “demonstrably inaccurate” and a risk to millions’ privacy.
