WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hosted a remembrance ceremony in the White House East Room on Monday morning, bringing together “Angel Families”, relatives of Americans killed in crimes involving illegal immigrants , and using their stories to sharpen his administration’s message on border enforcement and sanctuary-city crackdowns.
During the event, Trump signed a presidential proclamation designating Feb. 22, 2026 as “National Angel Family Day,” calling on Americans to honor victims “killed by illegal aliens” and to support families devastated by violent crime and drug overdoses.
The ceremony centered on Laken Riley, the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed Feb. 22, 2024, a case Trump and his allies have repeatedly cited as emblematic of what they argue are preventable tragedies tied to lax immigration enforcement.
“They were ignored — we’re done ignoring them”
From the East Room, Trump accused the prior administration of allowing criminals to enter and remain in the country and blasted what he called media indifference toward victims’ families. He framed the proclamation as overdue recognition for relatives who, he said, were treated as an inconvenience in Washington until their grief became politically unavoidable.
He also vowed to intensify pressure on jurisdictions with sanctuary-style policies, arguing those policies shield offenders and block federal removals, a theme he has made central to his second-term immigration posture.
Riley’s mother: “This could be any family”
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, addressed the gathering and described her daughter as a responsible, hardworking young woman who didn’t seek trouble, she simply went for a run.
Phillips thanked Trump for publicly elevating not only her daughter’s case, but other families who have lived through similar losses, telling the room the nightmare she experienced could happen to anyone.
A former NYPD officer describes arresting Riley’s killer and watching the system “fail”
The ceremony also featured remarks from Ethan Curreri, a Florida police officer and former New York City officer, who said he had previously arrested Jose Ibarra, then later recognized him in the news after Riley’s murder.
Curreri argued the breakdown wasn’t on the street-level cop who made the arrest, but on the system that, he said, failed to trigger meaningful immigration consequences before a life was lost, a point Trump seized on to reinforce his push for tougher enforcement and quicker removals.
Other families share losses, call deaths “preventable”
Other parents and relatives also spoke, including Steve Ronnebeck, who described the killing of his son Grant during a convenience store robbery in Arizona, one of several cases highlighted as the administration pushes the “Angel Families” message into the national immigration debate.
The White House event was billed in advance as a vigil-style gathering honoring dozens of victims and survivors, with senior immigration officials expected to be involved.
The politics were the point
Trump made clear this wasn’t simply a memorial. It was a policy argument, delivered from the East Room, in front of families whose grief the administration says is inseparable from the border debate.
And with a major presidential address looming this week, the message was unmistakable: immigration enforcement isn’t just a talking point in Trump’s White House , it’s the headline.
