Donald Trump instituted a day in memory of the victims of illegal immigrants. Why did he choose the date of February 22?

American President Donald Trump met on Monday with families of the victims of illegal migrants, during a ceremony held at the White House and at which he announced the official establishment of February 22 as the “National Day of Angel Families”, reports the EFE agency, taken over by Agerpres.

The date was chosen in memory of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old medical student killed by a migrant on February 22, 2024, while taking her morning jog in a University of Georgia park.

In the wake of this crime, Republicans in Congress drafted the “Laken Riley Act,” signed by Trump in January 2025, which allows immigration authorities to detain migrants for theft and other minor crimes before they are convicted.

Trump, who since returning to the White House has intensified his policies to combat illegal migration, again attacked the Democrats of his predecessor, Joe Biden, for “leaving the borders open” and allowing “anyone who wanted to enter” the US, a message conveyed in his speech before signing the proclamation, surrounded by relatives of several victims caused by migrants.

“They were victims of politicians who put the comfort of foreign criminals before the safety of American citizens and patriots,” Trump stressed.

He sent the National Guard to several American metropolises to fight crime and intensified the actions of the federal immigration police (ICE), tasked with interrogating illegal migrants.

These actions have led to violent demonstrations against the expulsion of migrants, with the worst incidents taking place last June in Los Angeles, a city governed by Democrats who oppose anti-immigration policies. Also, two American citizens were recently killed in Minneapolis by immigration police agents.

Migrant rights groups have expressed concern about mass deportations and curtailment of the right to seek asylum at the US border, arguing that such policies violate human rights.