Angel Mom Allyson Phillips, whose 22-year-old daughter Laken Riley was viciously murdered by an illegal alien Tren de Aragua gang member who had been released into the United States under the Biden administration, says she is “beyond grateful” that President Donald Trump has “not forgotten” about her family.
During a White House ceremony honoring Angel Families on Monday, Phillips took to the presidential podium to say that the president has been by her family’s side since the day he heard of Laken’s murder.
“You have said from the beginning, literally the day after this happened, that you would not forget about Laken. You weren’t president at that time and you have not forgotten, you have fought a fight that most people would not want to fight,” Phillips said:
Most people wouldn’t — they’d say it’s just easier not to do this and President Trump … you are doing a thankless job and most people just wouldn’t do. And I just can’t thank you enough — there are just not enough words to say because if you lived the nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job he’s doing and securing our nation and fighting for our families because this could be any family. [Emphasis added]
Phillips said what happened to Laken could happen to “any one of your families,” noting that her daughter was a responsible college nursing student who she described as “a good girl” with a deep Christian faith.
“She just wanted to go for a run that morning after she’d gotten up 4 o’clock the morning before to decorate her roommate’s door for her birthday and she did everything for everyone else, she expected nothing in return,” Phillips said.
Laken Riley (Photo via Facebook)
“She just wanted to be a good friend, a good sister, a good daughter, and a hard-working nurse. She was working so hard … and I’m beyond blessed and thankful that you’re honoring Laken and not just Laken because she’s one of a ton of people that have suffered at the hands of illegal immigrants,” Phillips continued. “She’s not the only one and so thank you for honoring all of them, not just Laken. We’re just beyond grateful. Thank you.”
On Feb. 22, 2024, Laken was on a morning jog around the University of Georgia (UGA) campus when Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Antonio Ibarra stalked her before violently murdering her, leaving her body bludgeoned in a wooded area on the UGA campus.
Ibarra crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 8, 2022.
At the time, the Biden administration released Ibarra into the United States interior with parole, citing a lack of available detention space even though more than 8,000 detention beds were available at the time.
That month, Ibarra ended up in the sanctuary city of New York City, New York, where he requested a “humanitarian flight” to Georgia.
In November 2023, just a couple of months before Laken’s murder, Ibarra applied for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
On December 9, 2023, Ibarra’s work permit application was approved.
In July 2023, before securing a work permit, Ibarra reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in New York City for a biometric appointment where he was fingerprinted. The results of those fingerprints show Ibarra had a prior criminal history.
On September 14, 2023, Ibarra was arrested for acting in a manner that could injure a child. Despite the charge, Ibarra was not prosecuted, and the arrest was expunged.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here.
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