Angel families turn tragedy into action by sharing how illegal immigrant crime impacted families

Angel families – those who lost loved ones as a result of illegal immigrant crime – shared their stories at the inaugural American Border Heroes Awards ceremony.

The gala was a two-day, nationally televised event on Thursday and Friday, recognizing the efforts of the men and women on the front lines of border security and families who lost loved ones as a result of the Biden-manufactured border crisis.

Lauren Phillips, the sister of Laken Riley, attended the ceremony and spoke about her sister, who in 2024 was murdered by Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela. Ibarra was ultimately convicted of felonies ranging from murder and kidnapping to attempted rape. 

"Being her younger sister, I got to witness the person that she was firsthand, which I'm extremely grateful for," Phillips said at the event hosted by Just the News and The American Border Story. The event aired on the Real America's Voice network.

The Laken Riley Act is born

"She was just the person that everyone wanted to meet and be around," she continued. "She was so inspirational. The biggest thing that comes to mind when I think about Laken is her faith and how Jesus just radiated out of her."

In January, before the ink was dry on his inaugural paperwork, President Donald Trump signed the "Laken Riley Act," codifying a law that "mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury."

Another person who attended the awards ceremony was Alexis Nungaray, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was murdered by two illegal immigrants in Texas. "She was very creative," Alexis said about her daughter. "She thrived with music. She was the kindest friend anyone could ask for. I've had the pleasure of getting to know her friends on a deeper level after this tragedy, and her spirit radiated through them."

Jocelyn died in June 2024 and the White House issued a statement honoring her in March.

"She loved animals and had a passion for ensuring that they had homes," the White House statement reads. "It is fitting and in the national interest, therefore, that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, a scenic area for coastal wildlife and recreation along the Gulf of America near Jocelyn’s home in Texas, will forever honor and preserve the memory of a beautiful American, Jocelyn Nungaray." 

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also commemorated the youngster, saying, "The Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of 39,000 acres of public land along the Texas Gulf Coast. The refuge encompasses a diverse and dynamic landscape that plays a crucial role in supporting a wide variety of birds, mammals, amphibians and insects. In addition, the refuge plays a vital role in public recreation and environmental education."

Personal stories and calls for transparency, accountability

At a roundtable panel, speakers voiced suggestions about how the U.S. could do better addressing or taking care of Angel families. 

Chris Odette is a veteran whose 13-year-old daughter Chrishia was killed in 2014 by Ramiro Guevara, an illegal alien from Mexico. Guevara was behind the wheel of a car that ran over the little girl while she was crossing a street. Guevara did not have a driver's license, and after killing the child, spent all of 35 minutes behind bars before being allowed to post a cash bond. 

Guevara was released, and it took Odette more than ten years to get Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to finally make the effort to track down and apprehend Guevara. ICE, under the Obama Administration, reportedly did not cooperate with Odette's search for information about the driver of the car that took his daughter's life.

Speaking about the struggle to find justice and fairness for Angel families, Odette said that "law enforcement should tell us what is going on with that person where they're at in the system." Odette added that "We shouldn't have to inquire about it. It should automatically open, and we get the information."

Angel Mom Agnes Gibboney's son, Ronald Da Silva, was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant from Mexico, according to Spectrum News. It was reported in 2019 that her son was murdered while talking to a friend in El Monte, California. He was 29-years-old and was survived by two young sons. The outlet also reported that the man who killed her son was also a known gang member, and had been previously deported two years before he killed Da Silva. As a Hungarian-born immigrant herself, Gibboney says she supports immigrants coming into the United States legally. 

"These politicians need to be held accountable for not securing our border, and they need to be charged because they are an accomplice to the many hundreds and thousands of Americans that are victimized," Gibboney said during the roundtable. 

"I would like to see E-Verify enforced and implemented. I would like to see any public assistance eliminated for any illegal alien." She also added that she believes that politicians need to be held accountable for not shutting down the U.S. southern border.

Scholarship fund created

During the awards ceremony, American Border Story announced three new scholarship funds named for three victims of the border crisis: Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin, to honor their memory and preserve their legacy.

The Laken Riley Scholarship will be given to a recipient who is studying nursing, because Riley was a nursing student. The Jocelyn Nungaray Scholarship will be given to a student studying to become a biologist or wildlife conservationist, in honor of Jocelyn's love for animals. The Rachel Morin Scholarship will be awarded to a student to help them become a law enforcement officer. 

The scholarships are expected to be awarded in the fall of 2025.