Fathers fight for change after losing kids to crimes linked to illegal immigration

Every Father’s Day, families gather to celebrate love and achievement. But for three fathers, this day brings only grief. Their children were killed or badly hurt in crimes tied to people who entered the country illegally. The Department of Homeland Security is now spotlighting their stories to show how immigration crime affects American families. Joe Abraham’s daughter Katie was just 20 when she died in a drunk-driving crash caused by an undocumented driver. She was supposed to graduate from college this spring. Instead, her family mourns a future she’ll never have. Abraham says her death was preventable and blames weak immigration policies that allowed the driver to stay in the country.Doug Quets lost his son Nicholas, a Marine veteran, in a brutal carjacking tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. Nicholas was shot while traveling in Mexico, a crime that Quets believes was made possible by poor border security. He calls the attack a direct result of policies that let cartels operate without consequences. Even tougher sanctions on cartels, he says, won’t bring his son back—but they might save others. Marcus Coleman’s daughter Dalilah survived a crash caused by an undocumented driver but suffered life-changing injuries. Now, he fights for new laws to prevent similar crashes. His work shows how some families turn pain into action. He says fatherhood isn’t just about providing—it’s about protecting and speaking up when systems fail. The government’s VOICE office helps families affected by crimes linked to immigration. Last year, it handled nearly 900 calls about 815 cases, including assaults, sexual violence, and murders. But for these fathers, no office can return what was lost. Their stories highlight a tough question: How much risk should America accept to keep families safe?