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Almost a year after a record increase in illegal border crossings, Republican lawmakers unveiled plans to build a memorial to honor Americans who have lost loved ones to violence caused by illegal immigrants at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Rep. Abe Hamade, R-Ariz., the lawmaker spearheading the initiative, said it would serve as a reminder of the cost of bad policy.
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Arizona Republican Rep. Abraham Hamade talks about the American Border History Memorial Act to honor Angel families affected by the immigration and drug crisis on the southern border.
“This bill now authorizes the creation of a permanent national memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor U.S. citizens and legal residents whose lives have been taken by those illegally present in the United States,” Hamadeh said.
“But in many ways it also shames the politicians who allowed this situation to happen,” he added.
Hamada was joined Friday by several Angel families experiencing personal loss, as well as members of The American Border Story (TABS), an organization dedicated to documenting the crisis at the U.S. southern border.
TABS Executive Director Nicole Kiprilova thanked the President Donald Trump for his efforts to combat immigration-related crime.
“I would like to thank President Trump for leading a historic administration that has placed these victims and their families at the center of our immigration program,” Kiprilov said. “Secretary Kristi Noem, border czar Tom Homan and the entire Trump administration have worked tirelessly day and night to ensure our border is secure and that these tragedies allowed by the Biden administration will never happen again.”
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President Donald Trump speaks at the US-Mexico border. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Hamadeh said his proposal would serve as a contrast between Biden and the Trump administration. His announcement came from the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security. announced last week it deported more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants in less than a year.
According to collected data The number of cases at the U.S. southern border peaked last year, with more than 300,000 cases reported in December 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Almost a year later, the number of cases has dropped sharply, with just 11,600 in September this year.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., one of the lawmakers also at Friday's event, said the numbers demonstrate two different approaches to enforcing the nation's laws.
“They ended the stay in Mexico policy, reinstated the catch and release process,” Biggs said of the Biden administration's decision to bring immigrants with pending asylum claims to the United States before ruling on them.
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Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., attended Friday's event. (Fox News)
Families of Angel victims at the event expressed outrage that remnants of the policy persist in some cases.
In particular, they condemned efforts to protect illegal immigrants with criminal records.
Jennifer Boss, one of the parents, said that after authorities found her daughter's remains mixed with bleach in a trash can, the man suspected of committing the crime was released.
“He was released the next day after his arrest. Illinois gave him mercy and freedom in the name of the justice of his policy. And let him go. They also protected him from being picked up by ICE. Again, because of their policies,” Boss said.
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Kiprilov said the memorial proposed for Hamade would not only point to a new chapter in American history, but also serve as a reminder of the importance of strong immigration policies.
“Today’s legislation, the American Frontier History Memorial, is about truth, memory and responsibility,” Kiprilov said.
