Today is National Angel Family Day, which President Trump has declared as a day of remembrance for Laken Riley and all other innocent individuals killed by illegal immigrants.
In honor of the families who have tragically lost loved ones to violent illegal criminals, President Trump held a ceremony at the White House.
During the event, he invited a cop who had previously arrested José Ibarra — the illegal Venezuelan maniac who viciously killed Laken Riley — to speak.
The police officer, who now works in Palm Beach, used to be part of the NYPD. During his time in New York, he personally put Ibarra in cuffs for child endangerment.
But, under Democrat leadership and sanctuary city policies, Ibarra was set free again.
Just a few months later, Ibarra appeared back in the news for the murder of Laken Riley.
Watch this police officer share his full story here:
🚨 WOW! Palm Beach, FL police officer and former NYPD just said with President Trump he ARRESTED the illegal alien who killed Laken Riley when he served in New York — but Democrats RELEASED him
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 23, 2026
"I personally arrested José Ibarra for endangering the welfare of a child. A few… pic.twitter.com/1ISEAftXIr
WOW! Palm Beach, FL police officer and former NYPD just said with President Trump he ARRESTED the illegal alien who killed Laken Riley when he served in New York — but Democrats RELEASED him
“I personally arrested José Ibarra for endangering the welfare of a child. A few months later, I saw his face again in the news after he viciously murdered Laken Riley.”
“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. If you enter our country illegally, there will be consequences under this administration.” @RapidResponse47
A generational betrayal.
In a proclamation shared by the White House, President Trump says that he first heard from this police officer in a heart-breaking letter:
Every year, thousands of American citizens are victimized by dangerous and criminal illegal aliens, often sent here by their home countries to get them out of their prisons or off their own streets. After returning to office, I received a letter from a New York City police officer that filled the First Lady and me with tremendous sadness and anger. He wrote to the White House about one of the most unconscionable of these derelictions in recent memory — the murder of Laken Riley.
In 2022, a Venezuelan man named Jose Ibarra was caught crossing the Southern Border illegally and released into our country by the Biden Administration. A year later, this NYPD officer personally witnessed Ibarra endanger a child on the streets of New York and arrested him. The officer was shocked to learn that, shortly thereafter, New York City — a so-called “sanctuary” jurisdiction — released Ibarra back into the community before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could issue a detainer for his removal. Ibarra then fled to Georgia and, just a few months later, brutally murdered a beautiful young American named Laken Riley.
Stories like this officer’s, whose diligence should have prevented Laken’s murder, and heartbreaking losses suffered by countless other Angel Families, strengthen my resolve to fix the illegal immigration crisis with ferocious energy.
The human cost of the migrant crime crisis is written in the lives of Americans like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin, who were brutally attacked and murdered by savage illegal aliens, and in the lives of Matthew Denice, Sarah Root, and Ivory Smith, killed by drunk-driving illegal aliens. Each of these lives and countless others were stolen by criminal illegal aliens who should have never been in our country. Each of them was loved, full of promise, and taken far too soon. These losses also include the thousands of Americans who die each year by fentanyl trafficked across the border by cartels and criminal illegal aliens. That is the most tragic part of this crisis — every life taken, every child trafficked, every vehicular homicide, every drug-related death, and every crime committed in this country by an illegal alien is 100 percent preventable.
What a powerful testament to the failure of Democrat sanctuary city and open-border policies.
This officer’s story is hitting home with a lot of folks:
Thank you to this brave officer for speaking out. The old system failed Laken and countless others now there are real consequences for illegal entry and crime. Justice for angel families at last
— Lorenzo Wilson (@AndyWilson55072) February 23, 2026
A fine man. Seeing that on the news must've utterly broken his heart.
— Ellie Jones (@eleanorauthor) February 23, 2026
Powerful words from the officer who arrested Ibarra. The system failed Laken Riley — but under President Trump, there WILL be consequences for illegals. Justice for angel families! 🇺🇸🙏
— luo Steven MAGA🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@luoSteven431351) February 23, 2026
Who was the judge that set him free? THAT is who needs to be made famous.
— Mike Reininger (@MikeReininger12) February 23, 2026
Laken Riley — and far too many others — were tremendously betrayed by the very system that is supposed to prosecute criminals, deport illegals, and keep innocent people safe.
It’s sad that Democrats ignore these cold, hard facts in favor of protecting illegal immigrants.
This is why President Trump’s administration has to crack down so hard on illegal immigration, in the first place.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed out:
.@CNN spends much of their time attacking the Trump Administration's strict immigration policies, but they will never air stories like this, which are the reason our strict enforcement policies are happening in the first place: https://t.co/A8LoFV05Ct
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 23, 2026
Solving the immigration crisis our nation has been facing for many years now is long overdue.
But, the Trump administration is already making great progress, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon!
Keep it up, and deport them all, Mr. President!
