A tense moment erupted during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday after Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) addressed Angel Families in attendance with remarks that quickly ignited backlash from immigration officials and critics across social media.
Angel Families — relatives of Americans killed by illegal immigrants — were seated in the audience behind Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as she testified before lawmakers about immigration enforcement and the ongoing challenges facing DHS.
During his remarks, Cohen acknowledged the families but pivoted to a broader point about crime statistics.
“For the folks that are here and your families, I’m sorry,” Cohen said. “It’s terrible what happened to your children and family members, but they are more likely, American citizens are more likely to be attacked by United States citizens who are not undocumented who came here and who were born here. [Americans] are more likely to commit these crimes.”
The comment immediately drew sharp criticism, particularly given the presence of families who had lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded swiftly, blasting the remarks on social media.
“Rep. Cohen pointing to Angel Families in the audience: ‘I’m sorry for what happened to your loved ones, BUT…’” ICE officials wrote on X. “There is no ‘but,’ Rep. Cohen. Your comments here are reprehensible.”
Images from the hearing captured emotional scenes inside the committee room. Several attendees held photographs of relatives killed in violent crimes. One sign raised during the hearing read: “Sanctuary policy set my daughter’s perpetrator free, explain that.”
The issue has remained front and center for many Angel Families who argue that their loved ones’ deaths were entirely preventable.
Rep. Cohen pointing to Angel Families in the audience: “I’m sorry for what happened to your loved ones, BUT…”
There is no “but,” Rep. Cohen. Your comments here are reprehensible. pic.twitter.com/CUtiNWpcBD
Should lawmakers be more sensitive when discussing immigration issues with Angel Families?— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) March 4, 2026
Angel Dad Steve Ronnebeck made that case forcefully during a recent White House event honoring the families.
“All these deaths at the hands of illegal immigrants are preventable,” Ronnebeck said. “They could’ve been stopped. We could’ve done so much more.”
Ronnebeck’s son, Grant Ronnebeck, was murdered on January 22, 2015, while working as a cashier at a QuickTrip convenience store in Mesa, Arizona.
According to court records, illegal immigrant Apolinar Altamirano — identified as a member of the Sinaloa Cartel — walked into the store and demanded cigarettes. When Grant told him he needed to pay, Altamirano pulled out a gun and shot him.
Investigators said the killer then stepped over Grant’s body and took the cigarettes from behind the counter.
Altamirano had reportedly been living in the United States for more than two decades at the time of the murder. In 2022, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to fewer than 40 years in prison. He later died while incarcerated.
The clash during Wednesday’s hearing underscores the deep divide in Washington over immigration policy — and the raw emotions that surface whenever the stories of Angel Families enter the national spotlight.
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