DHS Honors Fathers Whose Children Were Killed in Crimes Linked to Illegal Immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security issued a Father's Day statement recognizing fathers whose children were killed or injured in crimes involving illegal immigrants. The department shared accounts from three fathers with Fox News Digital. Marcus Coleman, Joe Abraham and Doug Quets each described how their families were affected.

Abraham's 20-year-old daughter Katie died in a crash caused by an illegal immigrant driving drunk. Quets's 31-year-old son Nicholas, a Marine Corps veteran, was killed during a carjacking attempt in Mexico by individuals linked to the Sinaloa cartel.

Coleman's daughter Dalilah suffered severe injuries in a crash involving an illegal immigrant.

The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office, known as VOICE, was reopened under the Trump administration after being closed during the Biden administration. The office supplies offender custody information, victim services and enforcement guidance to affected families.

DHS reported that the office received nearly 900 calls in the past year. Victims and family members made up 87 percent of callers, who reported 815 crimes connected to immigration violations, including homicides and sexual assaults.

Statements from the Fathers Joe Abraham said his family is marking another Father's Day without Katie, who would have graduated from Ohio University this year. He credited DHS with honoring her memory through Operation Midway Blitz, an enforcement action conducted with his involvement.

Doug Quets said his son was ambushed by cartel members using vehicles stolen from U.S. citizens. He noted that President Trump signed Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa and other Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Marcus Coleman said his daughter Dalilah changed his life and that he now advocates for changes in commercial driver's license laws.