President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were quite visibly moved after multiple “Angel Moms” — mothers who lost children to crimes committed by illegal immigrants — approached them during a tense scene outside the Capitol and offered hugs, prayers, and public words of support.
The tender moment occurred as protesters surrounded Kristi Noem following a congressional hearing, shouting insults and trying to block her path. While security attempted to clear a corridor, one Angel Mom stepped forward, embraced Noem tightly, and thanked her for “standing up for families like ours.” Videos posted online showed Kristi Noem briefly stopping, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder, and saying, “You are not forgotten.”
NEW: As Secretary Noem left today’s House hearing, she was swarmed by anti ICE protesters yelling “you are the modern SS & Gestapo”. In the middle of this, Noem hugged Angel Mom Agnes Gibboney. Her son Ronald was shot & killed by a previously deported illegal alien in 2002. pic.twitter.com/MrMF81izL8
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 11, 2025
Donald Trump later met with several Angel Moms at a separate event, where they praised him for prioritizing border security and elevating their stories during his first term. Some were seen hugging the former president and holding photographs of their children. For many of these families, the emotional gatherings underscored a years-long relationship with Donald Trump and his public support for victims of crimes committed by individuals in the country illegally.
Angel Moms have long been among Trump’s most vocal advocates, crediting Trup with mainstreaming their cause at a time when, they say, many political leaders did not want to confront the criminal consequences of border failures. “He listens. He looks us in the eye. He knows our kids mattered,” one mother said at the event.
The Kristi Noem and Trump embraces unfolded against the backdrop of renewed political clashes over illegal immigration and violent crime. While the federal government does not maintain a single comprehensive dataset isolating all crimes committed by illegal immigrants nationwide, several studies indicate that thousands of Americans have been victimized in cases involving individuals unlawfully present in the country. Public records show that in recent years, state and federal agencies have arrested illegal immigrants for crimes ranging from DUIs and assaults to rapes and homicides. Families of victims argue that every preventable death resulting from unlawful presence represents a government failure.
Homeland Security statistics noted by Kristi Noem also show that hundreds of illegal immigrants with serious criminal convictions — including assault, drug trafficking, and homicide — are arrested each year in interior enforcement operations. Angel Moms say those numbers represent “faces and families, not statistics,” a message they repeated Friday as they confronted lawmakers outside the Capitol.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Kristi Noem absolutely OBLITERATED Democrats to their faces today
“Go do something that actually matters! You ALL should be fired in my viewpoint!”
PREACH, @Sec_Noem! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/90pgqNOBYg
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 11, 2025
Kristi Noem, who faced a hostile crowd following her testimony, said protecting American families was at the core of her department’s mission. She reiterated the administration’s pledge to expand deportations, strengthen border barriers and surveillance, and designate major criminal cartels as terrorist organizations — a shift that gives the federal government wider authority to pursue transnational groups involved in human smuggling and narcotics operations.
Donald Trump, addressing supporters later in the day, said Angel Moms “represent the human cost of open borders,” adding that stricter enforcement will remain central to his agenda. During his first presidency, Trump frequently invited Angel Families to appear at rallies, press events, and State of the Union addresses, framing their tragedies as evidence of the stakes in the national immigration debate.
Friday’s encounter with Kristo Noem highlighted the deep emotional connection between these families and the President Donald Trump — as well as the continued polarization surrounding immigration policy. As one mother put it, standing outside the Capitol clutching her son’s photo: “We’re here because our kids aren’t. And the people who fight for us deserve to know we see them.”
