Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) erupted in profanity against two Democratic colleagues after storming out of a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on immigration policy Tuesday, later telling TMZ that Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) are “f***ing assholes.” The incident began when Lawler, invited to introduce a witness—the mother of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student allegedly killed in Chicago by a Venezuelan national without legal status—instead delivered a lengthy, politically charged anti-immigration rant.
Heated Exchange Over Sanctuary Cities
During his remarks, Lawler dragged in the deaths of Minneapolis protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti, American citizens killed by federal agents, arguing that Democrats showed insufficient outrage for victims of crimes by undocumented immigrants. “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,” Lawler said. This prompted Raskin to respond, “I do feel that outrage!” Lawler shouted back, “You do not!” leading to a chaotic shouting match.
Jayapal, the ranking member of the committee, repeatedly told Lawler he was only to introduce the witness, not read a statement. When he ignored her warnings, she called on Chair Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) to suspend his comments. “Thanks to Mr. Lawler’s outrageous outburst, we will not allow this to happen again,” Jayapal said. “This was an agreement between the chair and the ranking member. And unfortunately, you’re not able to control your members.”
Lawler's Post-Hearing Remarks to TMZ
Outside the hearing, Lawler told TMZ that Raskin and Jayapal “should have allowed me to finish my statement and introduce my constituent. They would have been far better off just sitting there in silence than trying to interrupt and cause a scene.” He also targeted New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), calling her an “asshole” over sanctuary city policies. Lawler insisted that Democratic sanctuary policies were responsible for the death of Sheridan Gorman, saying she “was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant under the policies of the past administration that they supported.”
The confrontation underscores deep partisan divisions over immigration enforcement and sanctuary jurisdictions, with Lawler accusing Democrats of prioritizing outrage over certain deaths while ignoring others. According to Politico, Lawler was invited solely to introduce the witness but instead launched into a broader critique of Democratic immigration policies.
