Mother speaks out against DHS 'Operation Midway Blitz' being named for daughter killed in DUI crash

CHICAGO (WLS) -- When "Operation Midway Blitz" was first announced back in early September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was being launched in honor of Katie Abraham, a young woman who was killed in Urbana by a drunk driver who happens to be undocumented.

Abraham's mother is now speaking out. She says this should not be her daughter's legacy.

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"I'm here because Katie's not here," Denise Lorence said.

That is the very first thing Lorence wanted ABC7 Chicago to know as she sat down to talk Wednesday, six weeks after the launch of "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area.

"It's not consistent with who she was. It doesn't align with who she was," Lorence said. "She was compassionate. She was empathetic. She was caring. She was loving beyond belief."

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Abraham was 20 years old. She died in Urbana on January 19, when police say an SUV driven by an undocumented drunk driver slammed into the vehicle she and her friends were riding in. A second woman died the next day. The man charged with their deaths is undocumented. But, her mother said that is not the point.

"It was a drunk driver that killed her. It was bad decision making by a human being that killed her," Lorence said. "Whether or not she would believe in this operation is not what we're here to talk about... She's being attached to it and she doesn't have a voice to say if she wants to or not."

Abraham's name was attached to "Operation Midway Blitz" with her father Joe Abraham's blessing. He spoke to ABC7 back in September. Because of that, Katie Abraham's mother waited to speak out.

"He's going through a lot," Lorence said. "He's going through a lot of grief and so am I."

DHS shared a statement from Joe Abraham with ABC7 on Wednesday:
"DHS launched Operation Midway Blitz in honor of my daughter, Katie Abraham, who was killed in Illinois by a criminal illegal alien drunk driver who should have never been in our country.

"Sanctuary policies helped kill Katie. As compassionate as she was, Katie would not sacrifice other people's lives just for the sake of bringing in illegals. I gave my permission to conduct Operation Midway Blitz in Katie's honor, and I stand by it."

Joe Abraham also shared the following statement with ABC7:
"DHS launched Operation Midway Blitz in honor of my daughter, Katie Abraham, a young woman with a big heart and a bright future who was killed in Urbana by a criminal illegal alien drunk driver who never should have been in this country.

"Sanctuary policies failed Katie and they're failing communities across America. Katie cared deeply about people, but she would never believe that compassion means turning a blind eye to danger. I gave my blessing to launch this operation in her name because it's about protecting other families from living the nightmare that mine lives every day. I stand proudly behind it."

The man charged with killing both Katie Abraham and her friend, Julio Cucul Bol, has agreed to a plea deal and is scheduled to appear in court in Urbana on Friday, where her parents expect he will be sentenced. A federal case against him is still pending.