Angel Moms Call for an End to Illegal Immigration

Angie Morfin with a picture of her son speaking in front of California State Capitol building on on June 21, 2019. Nathan Su/Epoch Times

Illegal immigration continues to be on the forefront of many discussion and media coverage, yet as a country, the real victims of illegal immigration problems are often disregarded.

Recently, “angel moms” have become more vocal about protecting U.S. citizens first and the need for stopping illegal immigration. Angel moms are part of the national organization known as “Angel Families” and have children who were murdered by illegal immigrants.

According to their website, Angel Families’ mission is “to bring illegal alien crimes to the forefront of politicians and American citizens by bringing victims and their families into the light with their stories and to enlighten them of the fight we have in front of us.”

The term became more well-known after President Trump highlighted the group during his campaigns and throughout his presidency.

The Epoch Times reached out to an angel mom, Agnes Gibboney, who lost her only son to an illegal immigrant, to get a better understanding of the situation.

Gibboney explained that she and her parents were originally from Hungary and attempted to flee the country when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary in 1956. In January of 1957, Gibboney and her parents successfully fled from Hungary, escaping to Yugoslavia and later Brazil. They successfully immigrated to the United States in 1970 where they made a home in Southern California.

After starting her own family, she had her only son, Ronald da Silva, in 1973. Her son was 29 years old when he was murdered on April 27, 2002.

Ronald da Silva was standing with a friend in his driveway when he was shot and killed by Luis Humberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez is an illegal alien and gang member, who had been previously deported and convicted of crimes.

Gibboney explained that despite murdering her son, Gonzalez was only charged for “domestic violence” and released from a jail within a few weeks. He was put in California Department of Corrections and is, again, set for release in November 2019.

“As a result, my son is gone, is dead, six feet under. Gone forever,” Gibboney expressed.

Agnes Gibboney speaking in front of California State Capitol building on on June 21, 2019. Nathan Su/Epoch Times

She also described how she wrote to California’s legislators about her situation and the dangers of re-releasing illegal immigrants who are convicted criminals, but was ignored each time.

Another angel mom Angie Morfin who also lost her son to an illegal immigrant, has been fighting to raise awareness about the crimes of illegal immigrants at various rallies and government hearings.

Morfin was born and raised in the U.S. and is currently living in Northern California. Her son Ruben was only 13 years old when he was murdered. Her son was walking outside with some friends when he was shot in the head and killed. Ruben was taken to Memorial Hospital where he passed away.

She explained that four years after her son’s death, she finally learned that his killer was an undocumented, illegal immigrant from Mexico who already fled the country.

“I think I was actually in a daze for almost 10 years because I wore black for 10 whole years. I mourned him for that long, and I still cry for him every day,” Morfin said.

Over the years, both Gibboney and Morfin have advocated for putting U.S. citizens first and spoke out against illegal immigration.

Immigration Reform

Gibboney explained that when she first arrived in the U.S., she “looked at this country as a glorious country. The most powerful country in the world. The country’s politicians were working together to help keep us safe, to move the country forward, to keep us strong and powerful. And in the ’80s I noticed some decline, in the ’90s it went down south, and under Obama it just went totally south,” said Gibboney.

According to History, prior to the 1960s, the United States’ immigration policy was race-based, but the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 overhauled the system, allowing for “a seven-category preference system” that welcomed people based on reason for immigration.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, which granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

Over the years, legislation such as the DREAM Act and DACA were signed into law to further protect illegal immigrants. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statistics, the illegal immigrant population has been increasing.

From 1990 to 2000, the illegal immigrant population increased from 3.5 million to about 7 million. The number increased to approximately 11 million in 2012and has remained relevantly stagnant. Roughly 820,000 of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants are “removable criminal aliens.”

Like many, Gibboney and Morfin explained that they hope for an immigration reform that would protect U.S. citizens. President Donald Trump has been taking measures, such as the border wall and travel restrictions, to control and reduce cases of illegal entry.

While it is difficult to separate criminals from people truly seeking asylum, Californians have expressed that there needs to be a compassionate but legal solution.