PALM BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2026) — President Donald Trump on Monday hosted roughly two dozen “Angel Families” — relatives of Americans slain by illegal immigrants — and proclaimed February 22 as National Angel Family Day, permanently marking the anniversary of Laken Riley’s murder as a day of national remembrance.
The gathering took place one day after the second anniversary of Riley’s death. The 22-year-old Georgia nursing student was beaten to death on February 22, 2024, on the University of Georgia campus by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who had entered the United States illegally. Ibarra had been arrested by Palm Beach County authorities in 2023 but was released without an immigration detainer.
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, was among those personally welcomed by the president. Also present was Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ethan Curreri, the officer who arrested Ibarra in 2023. Curreri told the group the system “failed these families” by not deporting Ibarra after his earlier encounter with law enforcement.
Several other Angel Families attended, including Laura Wilkerson, whose son was murdered in 2014, and Jody Jones, whose daughter was killed in 2015. Both women publicly thanked Trump for his long-standing advocacy on their behalf and for his renewed push for strict border enforcement.
“These families have suffered unimaginable loss because our borders were left wide open,” Trump said during the meeting, according to attendees. He vowed that his administration would prioritize the deportation of criminal illegal aliens and end what he called “catch-and-release” policies that allowed repeat offenders to remain in the country.
The formal designation of February 22 as National Angel Family Day will now serve as an annual observance to remember victims of crimes committed by individuals who entered the country illegally and to support their surviving loved ones. The date was chosen specifically because it marks the anniversary of Laken Riley’s killing, a case that drew national attention and became a rallying point for immigration hardliners.
Angel Families have been a visible presence at Trump events since his first presidential campaign in 2015. The president has frequently invited them to the White House, Mar-a-Lago, and campaign rallies, using their stories to underscore his argument that lax border policies cost American lives.
Monday’s event and the new national day of recognition come as the Trump administration moves quickly to implement sweeping immigration measures promised during the 2024 campaign, including mass deportations of criminal aliens and tighter asylum restrictions.
The White House said the proclamation will be formally published in the Federal Register in the coming days.
