Michelle and Joe Abraham’s lives changed forever in January 2025 when their 20-year-old daughter, Katie, was killed in a hit-and-run allegedly caused by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally and is suspected of driving under the influence. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a video of Katie’s parents speaking about their daughter and the immense loss they experienced.
“Katie was one of these unique kids. She had such a unique personality. She was very spirited. She made everyone feel seen,” Joe said in the DHS video. “Her sense of humor was incredible. Her wit was so sharp.”
Katie and her friend, Chloe Polzin, were at a stoplight when a suspected drunk driver, now believed to be an illegal immigrant, struck their car and fled from the scene. Katie died at the scene, while Chloe succumbed to her injuries the next day at the hospital.
President Donald Trump holds a photo of Katie Abraham, pictured right, as her father Joe Abraham, left, watches during an event to promote Trump’s domestic policy and budget agenda in the East Room of the White House, Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“Katie received no due process. And I know they like to use certain terms like disappeared and taken, snatched. But let me tell you, Katie was disappeared, taken, snatched, received no due process at all. And the difference here is Katie was disappeared from us forever,” Joe said in response to those who say illegal immigrants are not granted due process.
The Trump administration has implemented a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, one of the issues President Donald Trump focused on during his campaign.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a total of 8,024 nationwide apprehensions in June 2025. Of those apprehended, more than 2,500 were individuals at-large, while over 5,400 apprehensions occurred at or near the point of entry. This is a staggering drop from June 2024, when CBP reported 87,606 nationwide encounters, including 1,800 apprehensions at large and over 85,800 at entry.
Federal agents block people protesting an ICE immigration raid at a nearby licensed cannabis farm on July 10, 2025 near Camarillo, Calif. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“We do need to secure the border. That’s been very clear now because it has been abused for obviously specific reasons. And I think what he’s doing is the right thing to do. We can’t have unaudited folk,” Joe said.
Michelle seemed to agree, saying that “people need to be responsible for enforcing the current law, which is not happening, and that’s what got Katie killed.”
