Angel Families Express Gratitude to Trump in Touching Thanksgiving Video
In a heartfelt tribute released just before Thanksgiving, The American Border Story (TABS) unveiled an 11-minute video featuring the voices of Angel Families—those who have endured the unimaginable loss of loved ones to crimes connected to the border crisis. The emotional compilation, narrated by country music artist Alexis Wilkins, showcases more than a dozen families expressing their profound gratitude to former President Trump for his unwavering commitment to border security and immigration enforcement. These families, bound together by tragedy, share personal stories of loss while thanking Trump for what they perceive as his dedication to preventing other families from experiencing similar heartbreak.
Among the voices featured is Joe Abraham, who lost his daughter Katie in a drunk driving accident caused by an undocumented immigrant. With raw emotion, Abraham expressed appreciation for Trump’s prioritization of border security, saying, “We really don’t want any other families to have to suffer the pain and despair that we’re going through right now.” Similarly, Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son Weston died from fentanyl poisoning, called Trump “the greatest president America has ever had,” adding that she’s “grateful to call you my president.” Her words reflect not just political support but a deeply personal connection to Trump’s policies that she believes might have prevented her son’s death had they been fully implemented.
The video also includes Agnes Gibboney, whose son Ronald Da Silva was murdered by an undocumented immigrant in California in 2002. Her message highlighted what she described as Trump’s “courage, strength, determination, and love for our country,” thanking his administration for “securing our borders and deporting criminal illegal aliens and for keeping Americans safe.” Debbie Santini, who lost her son Jesse Byrd to fentanyl poisoning in 2022, offered similar sentiments of gratitude for “everything you’ve done and continue to do for families like mine.” These personal accounts underscore how immigration policy transcends political debate for these families, becoming instead a matter of profound personal loss and a mission to prevent future tragedies.
The scope of voices in the video reveals the widespread impact of border-related crimes across America. Additional messages came from Kim Novak, Jacqueline Long, Greg Crews, Lupe and Angie Morfin, Jane Gray, Laura Wilkerson, Chris Odette, April Babcock, Kathy Hall, Jody Jones, Donald and Wanda DeQuardo, Marie and Javier Vega, Rebecca Elmaksoud, Anatoly Varfolomeev, Uloma Anyanwu, Mary Ann Mendoza, and Tena Pruitt. Each family’s story represents a unique tragedy, yet they share a common thread—the belief that stronger border enforcement might have prevented their losses. Their collective gratitude toward Trump reflects their perception that his administration took concrete steps to address the issues they believe contributed to their loved ones’ deaths.
What makes this video particularly powerful is its timing around Thanksgiving—a holiday centered on gratitude and family gatherings. For these Angel Families, the holiday season amplifies the absence of their loved ones, making their expressions of thanks all the more poignant. By sharing their stories during this reflective time, they remind viewers of the human cost behind immigration policy debates. The video avoids partisan rhetoric, instead focusing on the authentic emotional experiences of families who have found purpose in advocacy following devastating personal loss. Their messages suggest that for them, border security isn’t merely a political position but a matter of preventing future tragedies like their own.
In closing the video, country artist Alexis Wilkins thanked the Trump administration for “the leaps and bounds made in infrastructure, in legislation, and in justice for these families and everything that they have been through.” Her words capture the sentiment that runs throughout the video—recognition of efforts these families believe have made meaningful differences in addressing border-related issues. The video concludes with a simple message: “On behalf of everyone at The American Border Story, thank you, Mr. President. Happy Thanksgiving.” This final note transforms what could have been merely a political statement into a human expression of gratitude from a community bound together by shared loss and a commitment to preventing others from experiencing similar pain.
