President Trump honors grieving mother of murdered American citizen; calls for tougher action on illegal immigrant crime following conviction of MS-13 gang member.
Washington DC, April 17: US President Donald Trump met with Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, a young woman brutally raped and murdered in August 2023 by an illegal immigrant and MS-13 gang member, at the White House on Wednesday. The emotional encounter, shared via a White House post on X, has reignited national conversations on border security and violent crime.
“She’s a beautiful woman, she’s been through hell. Your daughter’s looking down, proud of you. Just keep it going,” Trump told a visibly moved Patty Morin in the Oval Office.
Rachel Morin was killed while hiking in Bel Air, Maryland, and her attacker, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, a fugitive from El Salvador, was convicted on Monday. The attack drew national outrage due to its brutality and the suspect’s immigration status.
A Mother’s Grief, A Nation’s Silence
During a White House press briefing, Patty Morin detailed the horrific injuries her daughter sustained, leaving the room in stunned silence.
“There wasn’t one inch of her body that didn’t have some kind of injury—bruising, broken bones, contusions, scratches… fractured rib, fractured skull,” she recounted through tears.
She further revealed that the graphic nature of the images required them to be sealed so that Rachel’s young children wouldn’t ever see them.
“These are the kinds of criminals President Trump wants to remove from our country. Why should we allow people like this—violent criminals without a conscience—to remain here?” she asked.
Trump’s Call for Justice
President Trump had previously recognized Patty during the White House Easter Prayer Service, calling her an “Angel Mom” and promising full support.
The White House contrasted Morin’s visit with what it claimed was leniency shown by Senator Chris Van Hollen, alleging he “tried to coddle an MS-13 alien in El Salvador.”
“While Sen. Van Hollen was trying to coddle an MS-13 alien, Patty Morin stood in the Oval Office, fighting for her daughter,” the White House statement said.
As debates around immigration intensify ahead of the 2024 elections, the Rachel Morin case has become a rallying point for advocates demanding tougher action against illegal immigration and transnational gang violence.
The nation continues to mourn Rachel’s death and honor Patty Morin’s courageous stand as a mother seeking justice—not just for her daughter, but for families across the country.