U.S. President Donald President Trump faces reporters after it was announced Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel during a brief appearance in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
(Washington, DC) – President Donald Trump is set to host families of crime victims at the White House on Monday as he signs a proclamation formally designating February 22 as “Angel Family Day.”
The ceremony will recognize families who lost loved ones in crimes committed by individuals in the country illegally. According to reports, the event will honor two survivors and 62 victims whose deaths have become focal points in the national debate over border security and immigration enforcement.
Why February 22?
The date was chosen to commemorate Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was killed on February 22, 2024. Riley was attacked while out for a run.
A Venezuelan national, Jose Ibarra, was later convicted in her death.
Riley’s killing became a rallying cry for Republicans pushing tougher immigration laws. In January 2025, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act — the first bill of his second term — requiring federal authorities to detain undocumented migrants arrested for crimes such as burglary and theft.
Families Return to the White House
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, and her sister previously attended a joint session of Congress where Trump addressed lawmakers. Phillips is expected to attend Monday’s event, along with a New York City police officer who had previously arrested Ibarra on a child endangerment charge prior to Riley’s death.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president will use the ceremony to remember “thousands of innocent American lives stolen by criminal illegal aliens and the deadly drugs they bring across our borders,” adding that Trump “will always stand with Angel Families.”
Other Victims to Be Recognized
The White House is also expected to honor:
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Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother killed while hiking in 2023.
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Kayla Hamilton, a Maryland woman who was raped and murdered in 2022.
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Katie Abraham, an Illinois woman killed in a 2025 drunk driving crash involving a Guatemalan national without legal status.
In May 2025, Morin’s mother, Patty Morin, appeared in the White House briefing room urging Congress to pass additional border legislation backed by the administration.
Who’s Attending?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former acting ICE director Tom Homan, currently serving as the administration’s border policy lead, are expected to attend alongside families.
The ceremony underscores Trump’s continued emphasis on border security as a cornerstone of his second-term agenda, using the stories of Angel Families to spotlight the human toll at the center of the immigration debate.
Today at the White House, President Trump will remember and honor the thousands of innocent American lives stolen from us by criminal illegal aliens and the deadly drugs they bring across our borders.
President Trump will always stand with Angel Families. pic.twitter.com/iWPruQ5T2q
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 23, 2026
