The mother of Kayla Hamilton, a Maryland woman murdered in 2022, is speaking out after Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, referred to her daughter as a “random dead person” during a congressional debate on legislation named in her honor.
Tammy Nobles, Hamilton’s mother, appeared on Fox & Friends First to denounce the comments made earlier this month during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Kayla Hamilton Act.
“You just don’t call a victim of a crime ‘just a random dead person.’ No victim should be referred to as a random, dead person,” Nobles said. “What she said was really nasty, and it came across as racist.”
Kayla Hamilton, 20, was sexually assaulted and strangled in July 2022 in Aberdeen, Maryland. Authorities later identified the perpetrator as a 17-year-old from El Salvador who had entered the United States illegally and was affiliated with the MS-13 gang.
During the Judiciary Committee debate, Crockett criticized Republicans for invoking Hamilton’s name, arguing that lawmakers were using victims for political purposes.
“You take a situation, and then you exploit what has happened to not only that person, but you exploit those families, and you make it a game,” Crockett said. “Stop just throwing a random dead person’s name on something for your own political expediency.”
Before making that statement, Crockett accused Republicans of ignoring other crime victims, citing cases linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Nobles said she was furious when she heard Crockett’s words, adding that her daughter should be remembered for her life and not dismissed.
“Kayla was a happy and energetic child,” she said.
Law enforcement officials involved in the case also criticized Crockett’s remarks. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler, who investigated Hamilton’s murder, called the comments deeply offensive.
“Kayla was important. Her life mattered. And for Congresswoman Crockett to be so dismissive, so insensitive to a crime victim — any crime victim — it just speaks to the character of who we’re electing from some jurisdictions around this country,” Gahler said. “Pathetic is the best word I have for it.”
The Kayla Hamilton Act, introduced by Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., seeks to strengthen federal oversight of unaccompanied migrant children entering the United States. According to Fry, the bill is designed to close dangerous loopholes that have allowed gang-affiliated individuals to avoid detection.
Under the proposal, the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to implement enhanced screening measures. These include checking for gang-related tattoos, running background searches in a migrant’s country of origin, and conducting thorough vetting of potential sponsors.
Nobles has publicly endorsed the legislation, saying it would help prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies.
“It’s very important to protect the children,” she said.
Nobles emphasized that the law would safeguard not only American citizens but also migrant children by ensuring they are not placed with unsafe guardians or exposed to gang influence.
The debate over the bill and Crockett’s remarks has further intensified the political dispute surrounding border security, immigration enforcement, and the handling of unaccompanied minors.
Supporters of the measure argue it provides a necessary safeguard, while critics claim it risks unfairly stigmatizing migrants.
Hamilton’s death and the controversy over Crockett’s comments have drawn national attention, highlighting both the personal toll of violent crime and the continuing debates in Washington over how to address gaps in immigration policy.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/09/mama-bear-furious-with-jasmine-crockett-over-comments-about-daughter-killed-by-an-illegal-watch/