President Donald Trump addressed families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants at the White House, declaring February 22 as National Angel Family Day. The event marked the second anniversary of Laken Riley's murder and highlighted other victims. Trump criticized Democrats and media for ignoring these cases.
On Monday, February 23, 2026, President Donald Trump hosted Angel Families at the White House to honor Americans killed by individuals who entered the country illegally. He officially proclaimed February 22 as "National Angel Family Day," recognizing the second anniversary of the murder of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student stabbed to death while jogging on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024.
Trump's proclamation also acknowledged Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin, killed by illegal immigrants, as well as Matthew Denice, Sarah Root, and Ivory Smith, who died in incidents involving drunk drivers who had entered the U.S. illegally. "We're willing to tell the story," Trump said of Riley's life and murder. "I don't know why the news doesn't want to hear it. The Democrats don't want to hear it, the radical Left, they don't want to hear it. What's not to hear? We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country."
He added, "I watch the mayor of Minneapolis, I watch these people saying we want to protect murderers. I don't get it … there's something sick. We can't have a country like that."
Riley's killer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra from Venezuela, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was arrested in New York in 2023 for endangering a child but released before Immigration and Customs Enforcement could act. A former NYPD officer who arrested Ibarra stated, "I did my job. I put him in custody, but the system failed. No detainer. No accountability. No deportation. And an innocent American life was taken."
Laken Riley's mother, Allyson Phillips, thanked Trump for his efforts. "You have said from the beginning, literally the day after [Riley's murder], that you would not forget about Laken," she said. "You weren't president at that time, and you have not forgotten. You have fought a fight that most people would not want to have to fight."
Trump vowed to continue targeting Democrat-run sanctuary cities, saying, "They protect criminals with a vengeance," and "There's something wrong with them." The event preceded his State of the Union address, where he planned to emphasize immigration enforcement. Since returning to office last year, Trump has prioritized shutting down illegal border crossings and deportations, drawing opposition from Democrats, particularly after incidents like the shooting of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents last month. Some Democratic lawmakers have called for abolishing ICE and labeled agents as terrorists and murderers. Recently, Trump's border czar Tom Homan met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, leading to an end of an ICE surge and agreement on local cooperation with federal authorities.
