“He Deserves This”: Angel Parents and Fentanyl Families Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

In a poignant display of gratitude and advocacy, dozens of “Angel parents”—grieving families who have lost children to crimes by illegal immigrants—and relatives of fentanyl overdose victims have rallied behind President Donald J. Trump, nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Their formal letter, sent on October 9, 2025, to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, praises Trump’s “historic fight” against drug cartels, human trafficking, and illegal immigration as a beacon of peace and security for American communities. The endorsement, spearheaded by The American Border Story (TABS), a nonprofit amplifying these families’ voices, underscores a narrative of redemption and resolve amid profound loss.

The letter, signed by over 50 families, opens with an emotional plea: “He deserves this.” It details how Trump’s border security measures—including the construction of hundreds of miles of wall, stringent asylum policies, and enhanced enforcement—have curbed the influx of deadly fentanyl and dismantled trafficking networks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl-laced drugs claimed over 73,000 American lives in 2024 alone, many smuggled across the southern border by Mexican cartels. Angel parents, a term coined for families like those of Kayla Hamilton, murdered in 2019 by an illegal immigrant in Maryland, argue that Trump’s administration prevented countless similar tragedies. During his 2017-2021 term, border apprehensions of fentanyl smugglers rose dramatically, and human trafficking prosecutions surged by 40%, per Department of Justice data.

TABS Executive Director Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023, led the nomination effort. “President Trump’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders has saved lives and restored peace to shattered families,” Morin stated in the letter. She recounted how Trump’s 2019 executive order designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations empowered federal agencies to target Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación operations more aggressively. This, families claim, reduced fentanyl seizures at ports of entry by disrupting supply chains upstream. Echoing this, fentanyl victim parent Anne Fundner, whose son died from laced pills in 2018, credited Trump with signing the HALT Fentanyl Act in July 2025, which permanently classifies fentanyl analogs as Schedule I substances, closing legal loopholes exploited by dealers.

“Fentanyl took my child’s life, and it’s taken thousands more,” Fundner shared. “President Trump didn’t look the other way. He went after the cartels and the traffickers poisoning our kids. He’s the only one who made this fight a priority, and because of that, lives have been saved. That’s why he deserves this recognition.”

Trump’s broader anti-trafficking crusade resonates deeply with these advocates. His administration launched Operation Independence Day in 2020, rescuing over 1,000 trafficking victims and arresting hundreds of perpetrators. Families highlight how Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy at the border deterred smugglers who exploit migrants, often children, for profit. “The cartels wage war on our streets, turning communities into battlegrounds,” the letter asserts. “President Trump’s actions have been a peace accord against this invisible enemy.” This aligns with the Nobel Prize’s ethos, established by Alfred Nobel in 1895 to honor those who “have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Nominators frame border security as a domestic peace initiative with international ripple effects, weakening cartels that destabilize Mexico and beyond.

The timing of the nomination amplifies its impact. It coincides with Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) tapping Trump for the prize on October 9 for his role in a landmark Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, brokered earlier in 2025. Pro-Israel activist Lizzy Savetsky even quipped that the Nobel should be renamed in Trump’s honor. On X (formerly Twitter), the story exploded, with posts garnering widespread support: Users amplified the call, adding, “Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and also needs to be added to Mt. Rushmore,” while TABS shared the letter directly, emphasizing Trump’s role in “bringing peace and security to American communities.”

Yet, the push is not without controversy. Critics, including immigration rights groups like the ACLU, decry it as politicized hyperbole, arguing that Trump’s policies exacerbated humanitarian crises at the border and that fentanyl flows persisted despite his efforts. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows seizures increased under Trump, but overdose deaths climbed 30% during his term, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Detractors contend the Nobel, awarded to figures like Malala Yousafzai for education advocacy or the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons for disarmament, ill-fits domestic enforcement. Nonetheless, supporters counter that ignoring the “war on American soil” dishonors victims’ memories.

For the nominating families, this is personal salvation. Mary Ann Mendoza, whose son Brandon was killed by a drunk-driving illegal immigrant in 2014, shared, “Trump listened when no one else did. He turned our pain into policy.” Their letter closes: “In a world rife with conflict, President Trump’s fight against the cartels and traffickers embodies the peace we all seek—for our families, our communities, and our nation.”

As the Nobel Committee deliberates—nominations close January 31, 2026—this grassroots campaign elevates overlooked American suffering to global scrutiny. It spotlights fentanyl as a public health apocalypse, human trafficking as modern slavery, and illegal immigration as a vector for both. Whether Trump receives the medal or not, these families’ voices affirm a legacy of action over inaction. In their words, “He deserves this” is more than praise—it’s a demand for enduring peace, one secured border at a time.