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That driver, Julio Cucul-Bol, had already been deported once. He reentered the United States illegally, made his way to Illinois, obtained a driver’s license despite not speaking English, and remained in the state undetected—protected by sanctuary policies championed by Democratic leadership.
Katie never stood a chance.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been one of the most aggressive defenders of sanctuary state policies in the nation. Yet when those policies allegedly failed in the most devastating way possible, the governor never once reached out to Joe Abraham.
Not a call. Not a letter. Not even a glance.
Abraham attended a congressional hearing in June where Pritzker testified in support of sanctuary laws. The grieving father sat in the room, hoping for acknowledgment, or at least a conversation.
Instead, he was ignored.
“I was so naïve,” Abraham said.
“He knew I was in the room; he knew who I was, there were pictures and everything else. And I was excited to think, ‘Hey, I’m going to have a conversation with the governor at least to give him my perspective,'” Abraham continued.
“I was hoping to hear something like, ‘Hey, Joe, look, things got out of control, he slipped through the cracks, hang with us, we’ve got some things we’re going to fix,’ or something along those lines that I was going to hear … but I was just completely ignored.”
Pritzker sat through hours of testimony without offering a single word to the father of a young woman killed under the very policies he was defending.
Then came January 7, 2026.
Renee Good was shot and killed during an ICE operation in Minneapolis after allegedly attempting to run over federal officers. The details were still unfolding, but Democrats immediately found their footing.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared, “We stand in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis and with all of those across the country whose lives have been torn apart due to reckless actions by Trump’s lawless, racist force.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass followed, saying, “It happened because of the brutal and racist policies of the Trump administration that unleashed these agents.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani added, “We know when ICE agents attack immigrants, they attack every single one of us across this country.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went even further, declaring January 9 “Renee Good Day” and calling immigration enforcement operations “a threat to our public safety.”
This was the same Tim Walz who had offered condolences to Joe Abraham over dinner the night before that June hearing—then testified in favor of sanctuary policies without mentioning Katie Abraham once.
As Democrats organized vigils and demanded accountability for Good, Abraham watched from the sidelines, stunned by what he described as “indifference, silence and disrespect” from Illinois leaders when his own daughter was killed.
Still seeking answers, Abraham wrote directly to Governor Pritzker. He demanded to know how an illegal alien was able to obtain an Illinois driver’s license. He asked whether sanctuary policies allowed Cucul-Bol to remain in the state. He wanted to know why Illinois failed to protect his daughter.
“I don’t expect a response from Governor Pritzker,” Abraham said.
“I think, again, he is not interested in Illinois citizens. He is certainly not interested in talking about Katie and that’s where I talk about his just indifference and complete [callousness]. He’s not a compassionate man. He’s not a caring man.”
Fox News reached out to the governor’s office for comment. The response did not address Abraham’s questions.
Instead, Pritzker’s office sent three links to stories highlighting objections from Katie’s mother regarding the Department of Homeland Security naming an enforcement operation in her daughter’s honor.
No explanation.
No acknowledgment.
Just deflection.
To Abraham, the message was clear. Democratic leaders are quick to defend illegal immigrants shielded by sanctuary policies—but far less interested in the American citizens killed because of them.
Despite the pressure and political maneuvering, Abraham says he will not be silenced.
“Just because Katie’s mom says she doesn’t agree, I’m still a citizen and I want answers,” Joe Abraham said.
“She’s my daughter, too.”
And until those answers come, he says, the silence from Illinois Democrats speaks louder than any statement ever could.
