Speaker 1 (00:00):
(silence)
Speaker 2 (19:26):
To welcome you to today's press conference, marking the one-year anniversary of the relaunch of the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office. Over the past year, the VOICE Office has elevated victim's voices and reinforced ICE's commitment to providing support beyond traditional law enforcement. Each of the families you'll hear from today carries a story no family should ever have to tell. Today, they are choosing to share these difficult stories because what they have to say matters. Before we take time with our angel families, I'd like to introduce ICE Director Todd M. Lyons to speak about the VOICE Office and how it has helped people who would've otherwise had nowhere to turn over the last year. Director Lyons.
Director Lyons (20:24):
Morning, everyone. Thank you for coming here today. We really appreciate the time that everyone's given and the coverage this is going to get because this is truly something that the American public needs to know. So I'm honored to spend time with the angel families, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, loved ones, and people's whose lives were tragically cut short or perfectly changed in an instinct. The Victim of Immigration Crime Engagement Office, which we call VOICE, exists for one reason. To ensure the victims of crime committed by aliens are not forgotten, so they are not ignored. The VOICE Office provides a direct line to information, support, and accountability, helping victims and their families understand what happened, what comes next, where the offender stands in the immigration system and where they're located. Because for too long, many of these people standing here with me have felt like they didn't have a voice. But one year ago, that changed. And today, you'll hear from the families who have faced the most difficult challenges any person could ever face. Many have had the opportunity to work with our VOICE Office, but others have not.
(21:37)
To put it in perspective, in the one-year period leading up to today, the VOICE Office fielded 897 calls from victims, their family members, or advocates. 62% were looking for case status information. 25 were looking for victim services. And others asked general questions about custody of aliens and the situation which changed their lives. Of those who've called, we've heard reports of some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. 32% reported violent assault. 15 reported rape or sexual assault. Nine reported homicide and manslaughter. 7% reported family or partner violence, and 6% reported stalking or intimidation. Each of those numbers represents real people who needed real help. And now behind these numbers is a system that's committed to meeting these needs.
(22:37)
I'm incredibly proud of the work the VOICE Office has been able to accomplish in the first year of its relaunch. I want to say to the victim's families who have experienced these crimes, we see you and we hear you. And through the VOICE Office, we are committing to ensuring that no one's left behind. And I just want to say on a personal note, the families you see up here have become really close with, they're a part of the ICE family. But when ICE officers and special agents are demonized, called Nazis, hated, there's violence against ... We do it for these individuals, these families who are no longer with their loved ones because they didn't get the justice they deserved. And that's the main reason why ICE and our law enforcement partners are out there. And so these angel families will finally get justice. So thank you.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Thank you, Director Lyons. I'd now like to introduce you to Ms. Jennifer Bos, an angel mother who's here to share her family's story and how their lives were forever changed. No one should have to stand in this position, and yet she is here today choosing to share her story. Ms. Bos?
Jennifer Bos (23:56):
Excuse me. My name's Jennifer Bos. This is my daughter, Megan, and I came here to tell you about her. She was my firstborn child. She was my only daughter. She was a mother, a beloved sister, an aunt, a fiercely loyal friend. Megan had been planning to return to college and start her own business. She was really bubbly and creative, and she always did the craziest things to make somebody laugh when they were starting to feel down. That's who she was. The mischievous sparkle in her eye, you can see it. The love that she generously gave to everybody and the hope that she had for her future was erased by someone who had no right to be in this country.
(24:56)
She went to his house and she never left. He had taken her body and stuffed it in a garbage can, keeping her doused and bleached for 51 days while we searched for her desperately. That's why we fight for her every day. This has been incredibly hard on our family, especially right now. Tomorrow marks one year since they found her. A tragedy like mine and the other families that are here, excuse me, could have been prevented. And that knowledge creates an agony for us like no other. For me, it was further compounded when I had to fight bureaucracy and ideological sanctuary policies trying to get him detained to wait trial. I made enough noise that I got the attention of this administration and after three months walking free, ICE came and took him into custody.
(25:58)
I had no idea what was going to happen at that point, but I was incredibly relieved that he was off the street. And at the time, I didn't know anything about the VOICE Office. President Trump has ... I'm going to set this down. President Trump has so passionately tried to honor and support angel families. He created the VOICE Office in his first term. The Biden administration didn't have any use for it, so they shut it down. And it had just been reopened when I received the call telling me they were here to help us.
(26:35)
They would tell us how to track Megan's perpetrator while he was in custody and they offered to connect us to local support services. They were there to listen to our needs and they would help us any way that they could. It was very reassuring. Four months later, Megan's perpetrator was brought back to Illinois for a detention hearing. The ICE officers drove him all the way from Indiana where they had him detained to escort him to court that day. The judge ordered him to be held in custody, was relinquished to our county jail. I received a text message from DHS-VINE that his custody had been transferred to Lake County before I even left the courthouse. It was very impressive.
(27:24)
The services that the VOICE Office can provide are ever-growing as they create partnerships within local communities and social services. They have helped families understand the immigration and removal process and literally are a voice for us so that Homeland Security and ICE officials can better understand real life experiences and conflicts that may arise between immigration court and criminal court, such as was in my case. The difference of an American citizen committing a crime versus an illegal alien committing
Jennifer Bos (28:00):
... committing a crime is that citizens follow a known path through the justice system that we've already established. Normally, a victim doesn't have to wonder what's happening, where the perpetrator is, when the court dates are going to be, or if they're going to even be in the country. That's just not how it works with an legal alien criminal. There's conflicting state and federal laws, and the path just is not clear. So President Trump saw that gap and he gave us a bridge when he reinstated the VOICE office. We show up like this to speak what we're living every day, the dire consequence of open borders and dangerous sanctuary policies.
(28:51)
We come hoping that our stories raise awareness of the vulnerabilities. We have to find a way to work together to put an end to these tragedies that we have the power to prevent. But until that happens, we have to come together and we need to support and grow the VOICE office. They need to be here to pick up the pieces when the next angel family gets that call. I just want to thank President Trump, DHS, ICE, all of our law enforcement for helping us, for their service, for everything they do every day to protect us. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Thank you so much for coming here today to share your family's story. I know it was not easy to share and we're grateful for your strength and your willingness to be here today. I would now like to invite Mr. John Fiore to say a few words. Mr. Fury played an integral role in launching the original VOICE office in 2017 and remains a friend to many of these remarkable families standing here today. Mr. Fiore.
John Fiore (30:18):
Well, first off, thank you all for being here today and thank you to all the families for joining us once again. This is a very important office. It's a unique office. It's a office that offers services to a very special group of people that have not had any representation or any voice here in Washington DC for many, many years. It's an office that is dedicated to people that the president has said will not be forgotten. But the origins of this go way back. Way back in 2015, 2016, private citizen, Donald Trump was launching his campaign and he had a number of people being invited to his campaign stage, people that most of the public had never heard of, didn't know. These weren't celebrities. These weren't musical acts that were paying large sums of cash to go up to the stage. No, these were real people with real stories that had to be told. Now, I knew who some of them were from many years of being in this business, and I thought, wow, this is absolutely amazing that for the first time ever, these folks are being able to tell their story and the public was finally listening. Sometimes the media would pull away though because they didn't know who they were looking at. They didn't know who this population was. Well, they do now because these folks have been very outspoken and they're telling a story that new people are hearing about every single day.
(31:34)
Well, after Trump was elected, all of the future political appointees got together and started putting together the drafts of the executive orders and the DHS implementation memos. There was a call in there to have a victim's office, and we kept referring to it as the victim's office. And I said, "Guys, we need to put a name to this office." I said, "How about Victims of Immigration Crime Office?" It almost spells voice, V-O-I-C. Well, one of the other political appointees who was an OPLA attorney said, "Well, this is an engagement office. We're engaging with the public. There's your E." So we spelled that voice. We put it into the systems and waited a few weeks. And not too long after that, President Trump is giving his first address to Congress and he's announcing there will be a victim's office within DHS, within ICE. And he said, "This office is necessary because we are providing a voice to those who've been ignored by our media and silenced by special interests."
(32:38)
That was an amazing thing to hear that, to see that actually happen. Of course, we also knew we had to get to work and everyone here at ICE was pulling together to build out a new office, which we had no funding for. We had no staff. There was no infrastructure. There was no support for Congress at the time, but everybody in this building pulled together, which was so remarkable. Everyone, public engagement, public affairs, HSI, ERO, OPA, everyone came together to provide resources to build out an office that was accessible to the public and to our victims of our poorest borders. It was a lot of work, but we were able to do it by April 2017, which is quite remarkable. But we also had the help of our families. And we spoke with them before we launched it and said, "Look, what is it you want? What is it you would've needed when you went through what you did?"
(33:31)
And there were a number of things they wanted and wish they would've had. But the one thing that we kept getting back to was information. That's all they wanted. They wanted to know what was happening in their cases and they had no one to turn to until this office was launched. And I think people sometimes forget. The grieving process is difficult. It's particularly difficult when you're dealing with the criminal justice system. All these people suddenly had to learn about prosecutions and hearings and a trial and how does the DA function? What's our relationship with the city government? Where is this trial going to be held? Maybe it's hundreds of miles away from where you actually live and they're having to drive back and forth and get all this information. It's a horrible thing to have to go through. But when the perpetrator has a nexus to immigration, there's a whole nother level to this. And suddenly these victims who are trying to grieve are learning that perhaps the perpetrator is being transferred somewhere, different custody.
(34:36)
Maybe some of their agencies involved. Maybe the federal government is involved. Suddenly they learn this person maybe is here illegally. They're turning to someone for answers. Local DAs don't understand the immigration issue at all. Local sheriffs maybe do, maybe don't, but they would ask these questions. And what would happen oftentimes is that the victims would be contacting other victims maybe they knew who had gone through this process, or they'd be contacting someone they know somewhere in the DOJ or maybe some local field office to try and get answers. That's not something they should have to go through. So the point of it all was that we knew we needed to have an easily accessible hotline they can call to get information about the case, to figure out what the next steps were and how they could be prepared and how they could be involved in the decision making process that would flow from that.
(35:25)
Now, in the worst case scenario, this occurs in a sanctionary jurisdiction. And those instances, our victims tell us that they think the DA is working for them, trying to prosecute the case, but suddenly they start asking about immigration. And some of these DAs suddenly clam up, nothing to say. Suddenly the resource they thought that was available to them just isn't available, doesn't know the issue, doesn't want to know the issue. That's extremely troubling. Well, they didn't have a place to go, but they do now. And I've seen this agency use its resources in ways that probably wouldn't be occurring if this office didn't exist. So for example, HSI has a huge international footprint, and very often HSI is bringing people to justice who have fled the country to make sure that they're actually going to stand trial. We've seen that happen in some of these cases.
(36:17)
All these perpetrators flee the country immediately. They don't understand that, guess what? We have a pretty big reach. And so HSI has brought some of these folks to justice and they're standing trial. That's a great thing. ERO, OPA, they've been very active on the local level. We've had a number of cases. I recall one case where there was a young man who was killed. And it was a difficult situation because the way in which the evidence was collected sort of raised some questions on the local level as to how it was going to be prosecuted. Was the guy going to be released? Was he going to be reigning jail pending trial? Well, it kind of depended on the evidence and the local rules and the family reached out to us because they knew we could take custody. Now, if we take custody, the guy's going to be transferred out of the area.
(37:05)
If we take custody, he's going to be deported. Is that justice? Is he avoiding trial by way of removal? What does the family want? That was the question. So we're here late at night. I think it was a Friday at nine o'clock. Our folks were talking to the local field office, talking to the local law enforcement officials, talking to the family, trying to figure out what the equities were and what everyone wanted us to do. That was only possible because of this office, because we actually were finally, for the first time, taking into consideration the concerns of these families. It's a great thing. Well, I'll close by just saying thank you to everyone at ICE who does make this possible. Couldn't do it without you all. And most importantly, of course, thank you to all of the families. We will continue to improve this office, but continue to make it responsive to your needs. And to close on a quote from President Trump, "We hear you, we see you, and you will not be forgotten." Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Thank you, Mr. Fiore. And thank you for your tireless work to give victims and their families a VOICE. I'd like to now invite another angel mother, Ms. Patricia Fox, to share her story. She, like far too many angel families, has experienced an unimaginable loss, one that cannot be undone and one that she carries with her every single day. Ms. Fox?
Patricia Fox (38:35):
Hello. My name is Patty Fox, and I'm here to speak about my daughter, Carissa Aspens. Before everything, she was extremely driven. At 16, she approached me and told me about her dream job at a high-end salon. I didn't think she was going to get it. She got it. At 19, she was the youngest fragrance specialist in Chanel. At 22, she was attending esthetician school with big dreams of one day opening her own skincare line. Then the crash happened. We celebrated her 23rd birthday, March 15th. She is nonverbal. She is minimally conscious. She's wheelchair bound and she ate her birthday dinner through a G-tube.
(39:45)
Sorry, my hair isn't the only thing going gray. Every day is bittersweet for us. We experience every emotion imaginable, anger, sadness, grief, joy, pride, gratitude. I miss her voice. I miss her laugh and we work towards infusing joy into our lives and embracing who she is now. That fight and that fire that has always been a part of my daughter remains in her today and we can see it. The VOICE program was very simple to navigate and to use. I was grateful for the service provided, which I would not have known about if not for X. Thank you, Elon Musk, because the mainstream media is not very open about such resources available to us.
(41:04)
Thank you, Denver ERO. We received word the beginning of the month that the person that had hit my daughter and fled the scene has been deported. Thank you for the only justice and closure that my family will ever receive. Thank you, President Trump. Thank you, DHS and everybody that's here. I am inspired by the other angel families up here, and I pray that there is not another angel family that joins us. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.
Patricia Fox (42:00):
There are repercussions and my family lives it every day. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Thank you, Ms. Fox, for traveling here and sharing your story, which is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact that alien crime has on families, not just for a moment, but for a lifetime. Our final angel mom here today, Ms. Agnes Gibboney comes from a family whose lives were changed in an instant. While nothing can undo what they have endured, she's here today to ensure that her family's voice and her son's story is heard.
Agnes Gibboney (42:52):
Thank you everyone. Good morning. It is my honor and privilege to be here today. I was a part of VOICE when they first started, and I am so honored to be here again. My name is Agnes Gibboney. I am here to speak about my only son, Ronald da Silva. Ronald was 29 years old when he was murdered. He had a smile that would light up a room. He was caring, compassionate, and full of life. This is my son. He loved working on cars. He had a natural gift for it. He loved animals so much that one day he brought a baby crow to my house and said, "Please take care of it. Don't let it die." He was funny, always playing pranks, and his laughter filled our home and gave the kind of bear hugs a mother never forgets.
(43:52)
He was also a loving father to two young boys. Something that the media often forgets is the children left behind by those that were killed by illegal aliens called true family separation. My family changed forever. My life changed forever on April in 2002. My son was standing on a friend's driveway when he was shot. He was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery, but the doctors couldn't save him. He bled to death. When I arrived at the hospital through a window to look at my son's lifeless body, I banged on that window, yelling out his name, "Ronald, please open your eyes. Don't do this to me." I thought it was a well orchestrated prank, but I was wrong. My son never opened his eyes. He was laying there with his eyes still taped, still intubated, and I was not allowed to hold or touch my son.
(45:02)
That moment forever froze in my mind. That image will never leave my mind. And as we approach April 27, it will be the 24th anniversary of my son's death. I can't tell you that the pain has not faded. Every April, that wound gets opened up again, over and over and over again, to the point that I just want to lay next to him. Birthdays, holidays, Mother's Days have never been the same, not a celebration for me anymore. You see, I buried my son a week before Mother's Day. They are reminders, those holidays are reminders what was taken from me. I will never heal from this loss. I am here today to honor my son, but also to speak for families like mine whose lives were changed in an instant and never returned to what they knew before.
(46:06)
When I connected with the ICE VOICE Office, it gave me something I desperately needed. Peace of mind was one. In the middle of fear and confusion, I had someone to call. I had someone that could give me answers to questions that California Department of Corrections wouldn't, and someone who would be there to listen to me. That mattered more to me than I can put into words, and it still does, and I still refer other families to VOICE because I know the value of the office, because I truly believe in it. But I need to say this clearly. For us, Angel Families, this is not politics. This is not something that fades with time. This is personal and the pain is forever. It will never be erased.
(47:12)
And I want to say I love ICE. I love ICE in my water. I love ICE in my drink. I love ICE on the streets to protect us all. God bless the men and women of ICE and the office of VOICE. God bless our president who's doing everything to keep us safe. And DHS, Tom Homan, and all of you, thank you. And God bless the United States of America. I am a legal immigrant from Hungary, and I find it very offensive that my country gives sanctuary to criminals and not families like mine who follow the law. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Ms. Gibboney, thank you for sharing your story. What you've shared is a powerful reminder of why this mission matters. The stories we've heard together today reinforce our responsibility to recognize and support those impacted by alien crime. That responsibility guides our work every day. It is now my honor to introduce ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall.
Charles Wall (48:37):
Good morning. Thank you all for being here. Most importantly, I want to thank the brave families and loved ones standing behind me. Your courage, your grace, and your determination are truly inspiring. As Director Lyons said, "Behind the numbers we shared today are real people, the real people here on stage, and the individuals who weren't able to make it today that are out there in the country." These are the people who have endured the unimaginable. The reality is that navigating in the aftermath of a crime is complicated enough. But when you add the Byzantine complexity of the immigration system, it becomes overwhelming. The VOICE office cuts through that complexity. It provides clarity, it provides access. And most importantly, it provides acknowledgement that what these victims experienced matters.
(49:32)
At ICE, our mission is rooted in public safety. That means enforcing the law, but it also means recognizing the people affected when laws are broken. The Voice office strengthens that mission by ensuring that victims are never an afterthought. We are with them every step of the way. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Thank you, Deputy Director Wall. And thank you to everyone who joined us today, especially the families who shared their memories and their stories with such courage and honesty. What we've heard today is not easy, but it is important. It shows why this work matters and why it must continue. We appreciate your time and your continued attention to the impact alien crime has on real people, like those you heard from today on stage and others like them. This concludes today's press conference. Thank you.