The Illinois family of a stabbing victim is speaking out against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she used the killing to highlight the impact of illegal immigration.
At a press conference near the site of the murder, Noem railed against "sanctuary" policies in Democratic jurisdictions like Illinois, which limits cooperation between police and federal immigration agents. Noem was joined by several "Angel families" whose loved ones were killed by immigrants or fentanyl that flowed across the Mexican border.
But the family of Emma Shafer was not there. They showed up, instead, to a protest close by.
A statement from the family accused Noem of peddling a "cruel and heartless political agenda" that their daughter would have opposed.
The statement was shared by far-left Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker (D), whose office said Shafer's family wanted him to promote the statement.
Shafer, a 24-year-old community organizer, was stabbed to death at her Springfield apartment in July 2023. Her suspected killer, an illegal immigrant named Gabriel Calixto, has never been caught.
"Noem's words are in direct conflict with who Emma was as a person. Emma built up community and stood with all members, including immigrants," Cathy Schwartz and John Shafer said in a statement.
"No parent should have to experience the loss of a child. But every time her name is brought into these conversations — conversations she would have wanted nothing to do with — we have to relive the pain of her death."
Since President Trump returned to the White House, border crossings have fallen sharply, and the administration has expeditiously deported alleged gang members, sparking furious backlash from Democrats, the media, and some judges over alleged violations of due process.
Pritzker has doubled down on his state's sanctuary policy as he auditions for the presidency with a series of broadsides against Trump. In a statement, Pritzker called for "sensible, humane immigration reform" and urged Noem to "spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the Homeland."
But Trump's tough approach to immigration remains popular. A series of high-profile murders of American women and girls by illegal aliens turned public opinion sharply against the liberal agenda of the Democratic party during the administration of Joe Biden, who oversaw a historic, uncontrolled influx of people coming across the southern border illegally.
Some "Angel moms," including the mothers of Rachel Morin and Jocelyn Nungaray, have built close relationships with Trump, who is famously known for his personal touch.
"Secretary Noem went to Illinois to join Angel families to call for an end to dangerous sanctuary city policies under JB Pritzker and bring attention to an at-large illegal alien murderer who has been evading justice for two years," assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Axios in a statement.
