Tammy Nobles, whose daughter was murdered by an MS-13 gang member, confronted Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla during a heated exchange at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on immigration Tuesday.
Nobles, joined by fellow “angel mom” Marie Vega and others personally impacted by illegal immigration, took issue with a pointed question Padilla posed to the panel: “Raise your hand if you think all immigrants are criminals.”
Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla Hamilton was killed in 2022 by an illegal immigrant and known MS-13 member, immediately challenged the framing.
“Are you talking about legal immigrants, or are you talking about regular immigrants?” she asked, prompting a tense back-and-forth.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends First” the next day, Nobles said she believed Padilla was attempting to trap Vega—whose son, Javier Vega Jr., was killed by an illegal immigrant in 2014—into making a blanket statement that could be used against them.
“I think he was trying to trap us into saying something that would trip us up,” Nobles said. “But I didn’t let him do that… You can’t put all migrants in the same category.”
A Debate Over Rhetoric and Policy
During the hearing, Padilla pushed back on Republican claims that Democrats have ignored the dangers posed by criminal migrants, suggesting the Biden administration has not turned a blind eye to enforcement.
“They act like Democrats never cared about removing dangerous people from our communities. That’s simply not true,” Padilla said, referencing testimony from an immigration official who affirmed that ICE enforcement had not been stifled under President Biden.
The hearing underscored the deep divisions over immigration enforcement, especially when personal tragedies are involved.
Advocating for Legislative Action
Nobles used her testimony to push for passage of the Kayla Hamilton Act, introduced by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC). The bill seeks to close loopholes in how unaccompanied minors are processed and screened, particularly those with gang affiliations.
“I’m doing this for Kayla, and for other families like ours. We need stronger safeguards,” Nobles said.
Voices from Both Sides
Also testifying was Marine Corps veteran Alejandro Barranco, who shared a different perspective. He described how his undocumented father was allegedly detained without a warrant by ICE agents while working a landscaping job in California.
“My father was chased, beaten, and profiled,” Barranco said. “People like him contribute to this country. They deserve a fair chance.”
As lawmakers debated the role of immigration policy in protecting the nation versus upholding human dignity, Tuesday’s testimony made one thing clear: the issue remains as emotional as it is political.
