Heartbroken Angel Dad Stuns Senate Hearing, Calls Out Dick Durbin’s ‘Failure of Leadership’ to His Face – RedState

We’ve reported on some of the heartless responses of Illinois politicians like Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Alderwoman Maria Hadden, who failed to show human compassion after an illegal alien fatally shot 18-year-old college freshman Sheridan Gorman on the city’s lakefront on March 19.

But this is far from the only similar tragedy we have witnessed due to the Democrats’ senseless illegal immigration policies. In January 2025, 20-year-old Katie Abraham was killed by a drunk illegal alien driver in Urbana, Illinois, when he crashed his vehicle into hers at nearly 50 mph.

On Wednesday, in one of the most powerful testimonies you’ll see, Katie’s father, Joe, told a Senate immigration committee that Illinois politicians simply don’t care about this travesty and have done absolutely nothing to contact him.

He specifically lampooned Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who is a shining example of how the left has gone horribly off the rails in Washington, D.C.:

A Senate hearing turned tense and quiet after Illinois father Joe Abraham confronted outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., for failing to recognize his daughter, Katie, who was killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver.

After Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, expressed his condolences to Abraham, the grieving father thanked him and then proceeded to drill into Durbin.

“I appreciate it. I also appreciate Ranking Member Welch and Mr. Padilla for recognizing this. What I don’t understand is why my Illinois senator, Mr. Durbin, [I] I didn’t hear two words from him about me,” he said, pointing to Durbin.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Abraham added.

You could hear a pin drop:

Joe Abraham, father of Katie Abraham who was killed by an illegal alien, is denouncing Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin — his OWN senator — for not addressing him during a hearing on sanctuary city policies. pic.twitter.com/MfGkOh8lIp

– RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 25, 2026

Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Abraham revealed that Pritzker and other Prairie State officials also seemed soulless:

Angel father Joe Abraham says he still hasn’t heard from Gov. JB Pritzker 14 months after his daughter Katie was killed by an illegal alien.

FOX: “Still no news from Governor Pritzker?

ABRAHAM: “Not a word. 14 months.”pic.twitter.com/Dy2tGoluGN

– Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 25, 2026

Note that he did not say that Pritzker offered no condolences; he said that not a single leader in Illinois had.

HEARTS OF STONE: Shameless: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Now Blames Trump for Lakeside Murder

President Johnson: Democrats Prove Time and Time Again They’re on the Side of Criminals: ‘Just Like This Murderer Here’

Abraham had more to say during the Senate hearing, and it was infuriating:

After the tense exchange, Abraham again called out Durbin, writing: “You had the chance to demonstrate basic humanity, to recognize Katie’s life and death, as other senators in your own party have done. Instead, silence. Not a call, not a declaration, not even a basic human acknowledgment.

Abraham said that “silence in the face of tragedy is not neutrality. It’s indifference.”

“You’re retiring, but for many of us, it’s 30 years too late. And whoever you choose to support should be voted out just as quickly, because Illinois can’t afford more of the same,” he added, writing, “Illinois families deserve better than leaders who look the other way when the consequences don’t fit their narrative.”

He also criticized Durbin for his support of sanctuary policies, saying, “My daughter died in a system shaped by the policies you continue to defend.” »

As a parent, I find this story – and many others like it – heartbreaking and confusing. I wonder: how could anyone vote for a Democrat again after hearing this?

The unfortunate answer to this question, in my experience, is that most people on the left will never hear about this sad story. Coming from a left-wing background and living in a left-wing town, I can tell you one constant that I’ve often noticed: My progressive friends all have strong opinions, but are surprisingly uninformed about the harsh reality that former Joe Biden and his ilk unleashed on this country by opening the floodgates to anyone who wanted to come in, at any time, for any reason.

It’s people like Katie Abraham and her broken family who end up paying the price for their dereliction of duty.

See also: Joe Abraham’s moving article at town hall

My daughter is gone. Politicians still call it morality.

Editor’s Note: Democratic politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents who enforce our immigration laws.

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