President Trump declared February 22 “Angel Family Day” as he honored families on Monday who lost loved ones to illegal alien crime.
The president’s declaration honors two survivors and 62 individuals killed by illegals, among them Laken Riley, the New York Post reported Sunday.
Riley is the young nursing student who was attacked and killed during a morning jog on the University of Georgia campus. President Trump chose the date, February 22, because Riley was brutally murdered on February 22, 2024.
This is our why.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 23, 2026
HAPPENING SOON AT THE WHITE HOUSE: President Donald J. Trump will honor the family of Laken Riley and other victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants by declaring an Angel Family Day. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7JoYJ3egci
“It will be the first event of its kind to honor ‘angel families’ who have had loved ones killed by illegal alien criminals, a White House official told The Post,” the outlet said.
President Trump’s declaration honoring the angel families comes the day before he is set to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, according to Fox News.
Two years ago, Laken Riley was brutally murdered while jogging on a college campus by a criminal illegal alien who should NOT have been in this country.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 23, 2026
President Trump remembers her and all Angel Families, by proclaiming February 22nd as National Angel Family Day. pic.twitter.com/tqltmu5MF3
In the wake of former President Joe Biden’s (D) disastrous border policies that wreaked havoc on American communities and citizens, Trump has worked to secure justice for angel families who were victimized by illegal alien crime.
According to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “The first bill President Trump signed into law was the Laken Riley Act to prevent these senseless tragedies from happening again and to keep innocent American citizens safe. The President and our nation will join Angel Families in honoring the memory of these amazing men and women.”
We will always remember Laken Riley 🕊️❤️ pic.twitter.com/VoxFvYxqgt
— GOP (@GOP) February 23, 2026
Venezuelan Jose Antonio Ibarra was convicted of murdering Riley and is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, per Breitbart News.
“Prosecutors argued in his homicide trial that Riley died during a violent struggle with Ibarra. A medical examiner testified that her killer had smashed the nursing student’s head with a rock as well as inflicted multiple injuries across her head, neck, torso, and limbs as she desperately tried fight him off,” the report stated.
Allyson Phillips, whose daughter, 22-year old Laken Riley, was killed by an illegal alien while she was out for a run:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 23, 2026
"If you've lived that nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that [@POTUS is] doing in securing our nation and fighting for our… pic.twitter.com/JarUcVMIrC
In March 2024, Riley’s mother wrote in a social media post that her daughter’s murder was a “senseless and avoidable tragedy,” per Breitbart News.
The outlet noted, “President Joe Biden’s impeached, pro-migrant border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, refused to mention her name when he was asked about his agency’s role in the murder.”
