The stricken mother of a Maryland woman who was raped and murdered by an illegal migrant urged journalists to 'tell the truth' in an emotional White House plea.
Patty Morin's plea came as she spoke about the savage ending her daughter Rachel Morin, 37, met at the hands of El Salvadorian Victor Martinez-Hernandez.
Rachel was out hiking on a Baltimore trail when she was attacked by the illegal migrant, who was wanted for murder charges in his homeland.
Patty told a press conference her daughter's death in August 2023 proves the need for tighter border controls.
'Please, tell the truth,' she said on her way out. 'Tell how violent it really is. This is about protecting our children.
'It's more than just politics or votes, or anything it's about national security. Protecting Americans, protecting our children.'
Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder, first degree rape and kidnapping after just an hour of deliberation by the jury.
Patty also spoke at length about the horrific torture Rachel was subjected to prior to her death, which included having her skull shattered, 'like an eggshell', according to the grieving mom.
Patty Morin, the grieving mother of a Maryland woman who was raped and murdered by a fugitive from El Salvador, has urged White House journalists to 'tell the truth'
Rachel Morin, 37, was brutally killed byVictor Martinez-Hernandez while out on a hike near her home
Patty said her daughter's death is an example of why the US needs tighter border controls
'These are the kind of criminals President Trump wants to remove from our country,' she said.
'These are the kind of criminals that we need to remove from our country. We are American citizens.
'Why should we allow people like this, violent criminals that have no conscience at all to murder our mothers, our sisters, our daughters? I don't understand.'
Rachel is survived by her five devastated children and one grand child.
While insisting the issue is not political, Patty was speaking at a event put on by the White House where press secretary Karoline Leavitt was attempting to defend President Trump's mass deportation policy.
The administration added the event to its schedule after Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen landed in El Salvador to try to visit Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man and father of three who who was mistakenly deported along with dozens of other migrants on March 15.
Leavitt slammed Van Hollen's trip as 'appalling and sad.' She repeated the administration's claim that Garcia is a gang member.
Morin blasted Van Hollen for his trip, saying the 'senator from Maryland who didn't even acknowledge — or barely acknowledged my daughter and the brutal death that she endured, leaving her five children without a mother' chose to 'use my tax money to fly to El Salvador to bring back a person who isn't even an American citizen.'
On Monday, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder, first degree rape and kidnapping for the horrific August 2023 attack on the 37-year-old mother in Baltimore
Rachel Morin's tragic death inflamed debates about the illegal migrant crisis in the United States
Van Hollen put out a statement after Martinez-Hernandez's conviction.
'While the conviction of Rachel Morin's killer will not return Rachel to her family where she rightfully belongs, this verdict brings a measure of justice that they so deserve,' he said.
'The American people deserve meaningful action to reform our broken immigration system, improve public safety, and strengthen our border security.
'We can do this while also supporting our immigrant communities and respecting the rights of individuals who are here legally,' he added.
Liberals have contested that there are few similarities there are between Rachel's murder and Abrego Garcia's deportation.
Leavitt wrapped up the event without taking questions from the reporters, despite several raising their hands.
Martinez-Hernandez is awaiting sentencing for his crimes. He was also wanted in connection with a home invasion and assault on a woman and her nine-year-old child in California.
The murderer also has known gang ties, according to prosecutors.
The body of the 37-year-old mom-of-five was discovered in a tunnel along a popular hiking trail in Bel Air, Maryland
Rachel's murder is one of several high profile cases which have been used by the Trump administration in support of its mass deportation policies.
Studies show that typically migrants are significantly less likely than US citizens to commit crimes.
But a combination of record-breaking illegal migration during the Biden era coupled with high-profile crimes carried out by migrants has boosted support for Trump's deportation drive.
Illegal crossings reached an all-time high in December 2024, Biden's final month in office, when more than 370,000 migrants were intercepted crossing illegally.
Since Trump took office, the number has plunged below 30,000 for both February and March 2025.
