National Angel Family Day, 2026
This Presidential Proclamation, issued by Donald J. Trump, designates February 22, 2026, as National Angel Family Day to honor Americans killed by undocumented immigrants and victims of fentanyl trafficking.
The document strongly reaffirms a commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement, citing specific, tragic crimes allegedly committed by undocumented individuals, the signing of the Laken Riley Act, and recent success in reducing border crossings.
The proclamation also calls upon Congress to pass Kate's Law and urges public officials to end lawlessness related to immigration and drug flow.
Arguments For
Upholding the rule of law by securing the border and enforcing immigration statutes to enhance national public safety.
Providing formal recognition and support to families impacted by criminal acts committed by undocumented individuals, ensuring their losses are acknowledged.
Justifying and promoting federal actions, such as mass deportations and cartel designations, as necessary measures to end violence and drug trafficking.
Highlighting the successes of recent policy changes (like the Laken Riley Act and the 'One Big Beautiful Bill') in reducing border encounters and tightening enforcement.
Arguments Against
The focus disproportionately links undocumented immigration with crime, potentially overlooking the complexity of crime causation and the broader immigrant population.
The proclamation advocates for policy actions (like mass deportation and specific legislation) that may face legal or logistical challenges during implementation.
Policy claims regarding the lowest border apprehension numbers may invite scrutiny regarding measurement criteria and sustained effect.
Calling for the end of sanctuary policies and the 'demonization' of certain politicians and policies may lead to increased political polarization rather than consensus on solutions.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
This text indicates the document is an official proclamation issued by the President of the United States, establishing a formal declaration under presidential authority.
On National Angel Family Day, we remember and honor the thousands of American lives stolen from us by criminal illegal aliens and the deadly drugs they bring across our borders. We stand with the Angel Families, many of whom continue to be left without justice. And we recommit to carrying out the largest mass-deportation effort in our Nation’s history, getting the worst of the worst out of our country, and putting a stop to the violence targeting the brave men and women of law enforcement.
The President establishes National Angel Family Day to memorialize Americans killed by undocumented immigrants and drug trafficking associated with border crossings.
The declaration recommits the administration to a large-scale deportation effort aimed at removing criminal non-citizens and addressing violence against law enforcement.
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.
The proclamation asserts that thousands of citizens are victimized annually by dangerous undocumented immigrants, suggesting these individuals are sometimes exported by their home countries.
It introduces the case of Laken Riley as a specific, deeply troubling example of this issue.
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.
This paragraph details the circumstances surrounding Laken Riley's death, focusing on Jose Ibarra, who the text states was apprehended crossing the border in 2022 and released by the prior administration.
A New York City officer arrested Ibarra, but the jurisdiction released him despite an ICE detainer request, after which Ibarra allegedly committed the murder in Georgia.
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 experience of the NYPD officer and the losses endured by Angel Families reinforce the President's strong determination to solve the illegal immigration crisis aggressively.
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.
The President lists several victims to illustrate the tragic human cost of the migrant crime crisis, attributing their deaths, including murders and fatal drunk driving incidents, solely to criminal undocumented immigrants.
It also includes deaths from fentanyl trafficked by cartels, concluding that all such loss of life is entirely preventable through policy changes.
On the second anniversary of Laken Riley’s murder, we remember her kindness and the promise of her young life. While nothing can undo the pain her family has suffered, I recommit to removing dangerous illegal alien criminals from our Nation to prevent such senseless tragedies from happening again. As President, the first bill I signed into law was the Laken Riley Act. In Laken’s memory, this commonsense law mandates the detention and deportation of illegal alien criminals and allows States to sue the Federal Government when politicians fail to enforce immigration laws. In just the first 6 months of my term, I declared a National Emergency at the Southern Border, reinstated the Remain in Mexico policy, and deployed troops to the Southern Border to stop the invasion of our country. I also designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and by taking targeted strikes against these narco-terrorists, we are halting the flow of deadly drugs that have plagued our communities, stolen countless American lives, and shattered families across our Nation.
Commemorating the anniversary of Laken Riley's death, the President vows to remove criminal undocumented immigrants to stop future tragedies.
The text references signing the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention and deportation of criminal non-citizens and permits state lawsuits against the federal government for non-enforcement.
It also lists immediate actions taken in the first six months of the term, including declaring a border emergency, reinstating 'Remain in Mexico,' deploying troops, and designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations to stop drug flow.
Following the passage of the historic One Big Beautiful Bill in July, we are now executing the strongest immigration overhaul in modern American history. This landmark legislation unleashes a massive surge in Homeland Security, ICE, and Border Patrol personnel, authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of new border wall, and equips law enforcement with the tools and resources they need to arrest and remove dangerous illegal aliens from our streets and dismantle trafficking networks.
The proclamation claims that the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' passed in July, represents the most significant immigration overhaul in modern history.
This legislation is stated to increase personnel for Homeland Security, ICE, and Border Patrol, fund the construction of hundreds of miles of border wall, and provide law enforcement with necessary resources to remove dangerous undocumented individuals and dismantle trafficking operations.
The results are undeniable. The first quarter of fiscal year 2026 recorded the lowest numbers of southwest border apprehensions ever. Nationwide encounters are down 92 percent from the monthly average under the previous administration, and for the ninth consecutive month, there have been zero releases along the southwest border — zero. We have achieved the safest and most secure border in American history. But there is still much work to do.
The document asserts that the implemented policies have yielded undeniable positive results, including the lowest fiscal year 2026 southwest border apprehensions on record.
Nationwide encounters reportedly dropped 92 percent compared to the previous administration’s average, and there have been no releases along the southwest border for nine consecutive months, achieving the most secure border in history, though further work remains.
We must end the violence against the brave men and women of ICE and Border Patrol. The demonization of these heroes by radical politicians must stop, and the reckless sanctuary policies that shield criminal aliens must end once and for all.
The President demands an end to violence directed at ICE and Border Patrol officers, whom the text refers to as heroes.
It calls for an end to criticism of these personnel by 'radical politicians' and insists that 'reckless sanctuary policies' protecting criminal non-citizens must cease entirely.
I am also calling on the Congress to pass Kate’s Law — legislation that imposes stronger penalties on individuals who illegally re-enter the United States after being deported, especially those previously convicted of crimes. These actions are how we will stop these tragic killings from happening time and time again.
Congress is urged to pass Kate's Law, which would establish harsher penalties for people who illegally return to the U.S. after being deported, particularly if they have prior criminal convictions.
These measures are presented as the necessary steps to prevent future deadly incidents.
A Nation without strong borders is not truly a Nation, and a people without justice can never be fully free. We renew our duty to uphold the rule of law, secure our borders, and deliver accountability for every American killed by illegal aliens and for every Angel Family forced to carry the unimaginable loss. We will never forget the victims, we stand with the families who endure this permanent hole in their lives, and we will never stop fighting to protect our people and our homeland.
The proclamation asserts that national integrity requires strong borders and that freedom depends on justice. It renews the commitment to enforcing the law, securing the border, and ensuring accountability for victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, promising continued protection for citizens and the nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 22, 2026, as National Angel Family Day. I call on the American people to assemble in their respective places of worship to pay homage to the victims killed by illegal aliens and to those taken by the fentanyl epidemic, and lift up the Angel Families and families devastated by drug overdoses. I further call upon public officials, community leaders, and all citizens to end the violence and lawlessness that have claimed so many innocent lives.
By the constitutional authority vested in the office, President Trump officially proclaims February 22, 2026, as National Angel Family Day.
The President requests that citizens gather in places of worship to honor victims of crimes by undocumented immigrants and fentanyl overdoses, and asks public officials and citizens generally to stop the violence and lawlessness resulting in loss of innocent life.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
This is the formal concluding statement, confirming the President has signed the proclamation on February 23, 2026 (the day after the designated day), corresponding to the 250th year of American independence.
DONALD J. TRUMP
This is the signature of the President who issued the proclamation.
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