President Donald Trump stood alongside grieving families at the White House on Monday as he formally declared February 22 “Angel Family Day,” honoring Americans killed by illegal migrants.
The ceremony brought together relatives of victims whose stories have shaped the national immigration debate. Trump signed a proclamation recognizing two survivors and 62 individuals who lost their lives, marking the date in remembrance of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student killed on February 22, 2024.
“We’re willing to tell the story that the news doesn’t want to hear, the Democrats don’t want to hear,” Trump said during the event. He added that the administration is committed to stopping “murderers and criminals from coming into our country.”
Remembering Laken Riley and others
Riley, 22, was out on a run when she was murdered by Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra, who was later convicted in her death. Her case became a rallying point for Republican lawmakers. In January 2025, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act as the first bill of his second term. The law requires federal detention of illegal migrants arrested for crimes such as burglary or theft.
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, attended the ceremony and spoke about the impact of her daughter’s death. “If you’ve lived that nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that [Trump is] doing in securing our nation and fighting for our families,” she said.
A former NYPD officer who previously arrested Ibarra for child endangerment also addressed the audience, saying, “I did my job. I put him in custody. The system failed. No detainer, no accountability, no deportation and an innocent American life was taken.”
voices of angel families
Other families shared similar stories. Steve Ronnebeck, whose 21-year-old son Grant was shot and killed while working at a convenience store in Mesa, Arizona, said he felt hope that their loved ones would not be forgotten. Marie Vega spoke about her son, former U.S. Marine and Border Patrol Agent Javier Vega Jr., who was killed by illegal migrant criminals.
The proclamation signed by Trump stated that the nation remembers “the thousands of American lives stolen from us by criminal illegal aliens and the deadly drugs they bring across our borders.” It also reaffirmed a commitment to what the administration described as the largest mass-deportation effort in U.S. history.
“We’re putting American citizens first, we’re defending American lives, and we’re fighting for every Angel Family,” Trump said.
For the families in attendance, the day was not about politics alone. It was about recognition — and the promise that their loved ones’ names would not be forgotten.
