With protests escalating in Minnesota, an Illinois father, Joe Abraham, has voiced his grief on Thursday, attributing the “chaos” in sanctuary cities to the death of his 20-year-old daughter. He believes lax immigration enforcement played a role in her tragic loss.
“There’s a lack of consideration for families like ours,” he expressed on “Fox & Friends First,” referring specifically to his daughter, Katie, who was killed in Urbana. Abraham pointed fingers at Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, stating, “By nullifying federal immigration law without proper procedures or sensible measures, it’s like he’s crafted his own immigration policy. That’s quite unfortunate.”
Katie Abraham was killed in a hit-and-run incident in January 2025 when a drunken illegal immigrant crashed into the car she was in with friends. The tragedy spurred the Trump administration to initiate Operation Midway Blitz to honor her memory.
The crash also resulted in the death of 21-year-old Chloe Polzin from Deerfield, Illinois. The driver, Julio Cucurbol, a Guatemalan national utilizing a Mexican alias, is currently serving a 30-year sentence after a plea agreement, as previously discussed by Abraham with Fox News Digital.
The Department of Justice has charged Cucurbol with issues including possession of false identification documents.
Abraham expressed concerns about Cucurbol’s entry into the U.S., noting discrepancies in his records, including a reported HIV status, and calling attention to the inadequate background checks that allowed him to enter the country.
He criticized leaders in blue states for fostering a climate that tolerates illegal immigration, urging federal action and accusing these officials of ignoring the situation in their states.
“They seem disinterested in cooperating with the federal government,” Abraham claimed. “It’s almost as if they’re crafting chaos to divert attention from actual state management, which, frankly, is not going well.”
His remarks reflect growing tensions between federal authorities and activists opposed to ICE, heightened after the recent death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
