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Michelle and Joe Abraham’s lives changed forever in January 2025 when their 20-year-old daughter, Katie, was killed in a hit-and-run allegedly caused by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally and is suspected of driving under the influence. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a video of Katie’s parents speaking about their daughter and the immense loss they experienced.
“Katie was one of these unique kids. She had such a unique personality. She was very spirited. She made everyone feel seen,” Joe said in the DHS video. “Her sense of humor was incredible. Her wit was so sharp.”
Katie and her friend, Chloe Polzin, were at a stoplight when a suspected drunk driver, now believed to be an illegal immigrant, struck their car and fled from the scene. Katie died at the scene, while Chloe succumbed to her injuries the next day at the hospital.
President Donald Trump holds a photo of Katie Abraham, pictured right, as her father Joe Abraham, left, watches during an event to promote Trump’s domestic policy and budget agenda in the East Room of the White House, Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
DHS: TWO WISCONSIN TEENS WOULD ‘STILL BE ALIVE’ IF NOT FOR SANCTUARY POLICIES PROTECTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
“These two young women—college students with their entire lives ahead of them—were killed by an illegal alien who should have NEVER been in our country. This tragedy was senseless and completely preventable,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release. She went on to slam Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, saying that he and other political leaders who promote sanctuary policies are putting Americans in danger.
A report from the Urbana Police Department states that in the early hours of Jan. 19, 2025, officers were called to the scene of a “severe traffic crash.” While the police reports do not say exactly how fast the suspect was going, Joe says in the DHS video that the girls’ car was struck at nearly 80 miles per hour. The Urbana police report says it was at a “high rate of speed.”
Urbana Police say the suspect, identified as Julio Cucul Bol, a Guatemalan national, initially used an alias when speaking with authorities. Bol is charged with two counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury crash resulting in death, two counts of reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death.
Katie Abraham was killed in January when an illegal immigrant who is suspected of driving under the influence rammed into her car at a “high rate of speed.”
ILLINOIS CORONER RELEASES NEW DETAILS ABOUT WOMAN FOUND DEAD ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S PROPERTY
Joe described the pain of losing his daughter as “gut-wrenching” and said that had Bol been vetted and not allowed into the country, Katie would be alive today.
“It’s so gut-wrenching every day, and I wish I could explain it, but it’s as if just this large piece of you is gone and will never be back, and you’ve just gotta move forward with it.”
Michelle said in the DHS video that they were not aware that the suspect was allegedly in the country illegally until a few days after the crash.
“The Urbana Police Department was great in getting us the information as soon as they could, but they didn’t know where he was. It’s that much more difficult to comprehend now this person is on the loose. We don’t know where he is. They suspected he was trying to flee,” Michelle said.
In May, Bol was indicted by a grand jury on charges of possessing a false permanent resident card, possessing a false Social Security card, false use of a passport and making a false statement on a bank application. Bol faces a potential maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release for the charges related to possession of false documents. Additionally, the charge related to the bank application carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1M fine and up to five years of supervised release.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents look over lists of names and their hearing times and locations inside the Federal Plaza courthouse before making arrests on June 27, 2025 in New York. ((Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images))
ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENTERS PLEA IN CRASH THAT KILLED BOY ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 12TH BIRTHDAY
“Katie received no due process. And I know they like to use certain terms like disappeared and taken, snatched. But let me tell you, Katie was disappeared, taken, snatched, received no due process at all. And the difference here is Katie was disappeared from us forever,” Joe said in response to those who say illegal immigrants are not granted due process.
The Trump administration has implemented a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, one of the issues President Donald Trump focused on during his campaign.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a total of 8,024 nationwide apprehensions in June 2025. Of those apprehended, more than 2,500 were individuals at-large, while over 5,400 apprehensions occurred at or near the point of entry. This is a staggering drop from June 2024, when CBP reported 87,606 nationwide encounters, including 1,800 apprehensions at large and over 85,800 at entry.
Federal agents block people protesting an ICE immigration raid at a nearby licensed cannabis farm on July 10, 2025 near Camarillo, Calif. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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“We do need to secure the border. That’s been very clear now because it has been abused for obviously specific reasons. And I think what he’s doing is the right thing to do. We can’t have unaudited folk,” Joe said.
Michelle seemed to agree, saying that “people need to be responsible for enforcing the current law, which is not happening, and that’s what got Katie killed.”