'Angel Families' put migrants and crime at center of US midterms

As the Republican Party prepares for the US midterm elections, a central theme in their messaging has become the stories of "Angel Families." These are families of individuals who lost loved ones allegedly by undocumented or illegal migrants. The families' accounts are designed to tap into voter concerns ahead of the November 3 vote.

One such family is the Carters from Oregon. Elizabeth Carter lost her son and daughter-in-law in a road crash a year ago. The driver, Rajinder Kumar, is an undocumented Indian immigrant who obtained a truck driver's license in California. Kumar had crossed the Mexico-US border illegally in 2022 and was detained. However, he was released pending a hearing, infuriating the Carter family. Elizabeth Carter testified at a House of Representatives hearing, stating, "We're rolling the dice with our children."

Another victim is 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman from Chicago. She went for a nighttime walk with friends when Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, shot her in the back. Gorman died, and her mother, Jessica, testified about the incident. She told AFP, "The fact that American safety is a partisan issue blows my mind. It should be everyone’s issue."

Both families are campaigning to change sanctuary state laws. Oregon and California, both sanctuary states, limit cooperation with ICE on undocumented immigrants. Elizabeth Carter hopes for a fair trial for Kumar, stating, "My hope is that Mr. Kumar gets a fair trial. Billy and Jenny, my son and daughter-in-law, deserve their day in court."

The immigration debate in the US has become increasingly contentious. ICE accuses states of failing to hand over undocumented immigrants released from jail, leading to raids and deaths. Democratic lawmakers consider the five hearings on sanctuary states excessive, accusing Republicans of using these hearings to deflect from legitimate concerns about immigration enforcement.