Trump Honors Angel Families, Proclaims National Day of Remembrance

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump issued a proclamation at the White House on Feb. 23, establishing Feb. 22 as National Angel Family Day to honor Americans killed by illegal immigrants.

“We’re gathered here today for a truly solemn occasion,” Trump said while welcoming hundreds of family members to the East Room ceremony. “These are the Angel families that we love, that for decades our government betrayed and our media totally ignored.”

The day was chosen in remembrance of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by José Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, while she was jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia on Feb. 22, 2024.

“Laken was viciously attacked, brutally beaten, and murdered by an illegal alien gang member who the last administration heartlessly released into our country,” Trump said. “The story is even more tragic because her death was completely preventable.”

He highlighted policy failures that allowed Ibarra to avoid deportation and be released after he was arrested in August 2023 by New York City police officer Ethan Curreri.

Curreri told those gathered at the White House that he detained Ibarra for endangering the welfare of a child.

“I did my job. I put him in custody,” Curreri said. “The system failed. No detainer, no accountability, no deportation, and an innocent American life was taken.”

The president signed the Laken Riley Act in January 2025, shortly after his second term began. It requires the federal government to detain illegal immigrants arrested for various criminal offenses.

Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, brimmed with emotions as she remembered her daughter and thanked the president.

“If you’ve lived the nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that he’s doing and securing our nation and fighting for our families,” Phillips said, referring to the president. “Because this could be any family.”

Steve Ronnebeck, whose 21-year-old son, Grant, was killed by an illegal immigrant in 2015 while working at a convenience store in Mesa, Arizona, spoke about the importance of the national day of remembrance.

“We are finally going to see that somebody’s going to remember all of our loved ones,” he said. “They’re going to remember the names, and they’re going to remember what we’ve all been through.”

Marie Vega witnessed her son, Javier Vega Jr., a Border Patrol agent and Marine, being murdered by Gustavo Tijerina Sandoval, an illegal immigrant, near the southern border in Texas in 2014. She grabbed a weapon to defend her family during the attack.

“Had we not fired back, they would have killed everyone there, including the children, so that there wouldn’t be any witnesses,” Vega said. “They killed an amazing man, a loving and honorable dad and husband.”

Vega said that without the president, the world would not know about the consequences of lax border policies.

The president championed his border control and immigration enforcement agenda.

“We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country,” Trump said.

He also said that the border is now “100 percent closed.”

Administration officials in attendance included Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan.

After Trump signed the proclamation, he joined the audience for a candle lighting ceremony and the reading of victims’ names.

In the proclamation, Trump said, “We must end the violence against the brave men and women of ICE and Border Patrol.”

“[The] demonization of these heroes by radical politicians must stop, and the reckless sanctuary policies that shield criminal aliens must end once and for all.”

The president also called on Congress to pass Kate’s Law, named after Kate Steinle, who was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant in June 2015, describing it as “legislation that imposes stronger penalties on individuals who illegally re-enter the United States after being deported, especially those previously convicted of crimes.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the names of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and New York City police officer Ethan Curreri. The Epoch Times regrets the errors.