The father of 20-year-old Katie Abraham, who tragically died in a hit-and-run accident involving an undocumented driver, has expressed his frustration with Illinois leaders. He feels they have overlooked the family’s plight and that state immigration policies may have contributed to preventable tragedies.
Joe Abraham shared his thoughts on “Sunday Night in America,” taking aim at Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. He accused the governor of supporting undocumented immigrants without considering the consequences. “Politics has made an environment where Katie’s murder was possible,” he stated, emphasizing that voters need to realize their own safety could be at risk in a similar situation.
Abraham drew attention to the reactions from Democratic officials following the murder of Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University student killed by a Venezuelan national, José Medina-Medina. He characterized Pritzker’s immigration stance as “incoherent” and pointed out that the governor seemed to deflect blame onto the Trump administration, referring to it as a “national failure.”
In response to a tragedy that affected the Gorman family, Pritzker remarked on the failures that go beyond state lines and implied that the president hadn’t lived up to his own commitments regarding immigration reform. “It’s a comprehensive policy failure,” Pritzker stated, highlighting systemic issues.
Abraham, however, questioned the governor’s criticism of Trump, especially after Pritzker had previously made harsh comparisons of ICE agents to Nazis. “It feels very disjointed,” he remarked. “He’s a politician who’s unlikely to take responsibility for his policies, and he’s definitely not being truthful with Illinois voters.”
The grieving father described life after his daughter’s death as a “dark wasteland.” He criticized politicians for not grasping the real-world implications of sanctuary policies. “This man should not have been here, that’s the core issue,” Abraham said. He rejected the idea that his daughter was merely in the “wrong place at the wrong time,” stating that her death is deeply intertwined with political decisions.
Abraham expressed his disillusionment with the justice system, noting that while the driver received some prison time, he would eventually be released. “My daughter is gone, and I feel buried with her. How’s that for a reality?”
