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Mom of girl allegedly killed by illegals says wildlife refuge renaming 'means the world' to family

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Mom of girl allegedly killed by illegals says wildlife refuge renaming 'means the world' to family

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EXCLUSIVE: Alexis Nungaray, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose murder authorities say was at the hands of two illegal immigrants suspected to be Tren de Aragua gang members, told Fox News Digital that renaming a local wildlife refuge in her daughter’s honor would mean “the world” to her family.

Jocelyn Nungaray was sexually assaulted and strangled to death, allegedly by two Venezuelan illegals, Franklin Jose Pena Ramos and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, who were let through the southern border during the Biden administration. Her body was found tied up in a bayou in Houston.

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Since her daughter’s murder, Alexis Nungaray has become a vocal advocate for increased border security and a supporter of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Nungaray said the tragic manner of Jocelyn’s death “takes away [from] who she was as a person.” However, she said that the renaming of a 39,000-acre wildlife refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast preserves Jocelyn’s memory for what she loved in life. 

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER

Jocelyn Nungaray; a view of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge in Texas (Nungaray family | Norman Welsh via Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge website)

Trump issued an executive order on March 5 renaming the former Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Houston to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, have since introduced bills to enshrine Trump’s executive order into law, making it more difficult for a future president to change the name of the refuge back. The Senate has already passed the bill, and Babin is working to pass it in the House.

Babin told Fox News Digital that his bill to codify Trump’s renaming of the refuge after Jocelyn is receiving bipartisan support and that he expects it will be passed by the House soon and be immediately signed by the president.

“This is a beautiful place. And if we name it after her, I think we will preserve her legacy,” he said.

“The main thing we need to remember is that this can never be allowed to happen again,” he added. “We get this thing in law, codified, no future president can ever undo this. And so, we will have a memory of what happens when you have bad policies that can create a system that will allow this to happen to innocent people like Jocelyn.”

TEXAS LAWMAKERS SEEK TO GET FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR BIDEN-ERA BORDER CONTROL EXPENSES

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Rep. Brian Babin closeup shot

Rep. Brian Babin told Fox News Digital that his bill to codify Trump’s renaming of the refuge after Jocelyn is receiving bipartisan support and that he expects it will be passed by the House soon and be immediately signed by the president. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

Nungaray said the effort to rename the refuge “touches every part of my heart and my family’s heart.”

“Everyone who knew Jocelyn knew she loved animals so much, knew she loved nature, wildlife,” explained Nungaray. “She truly loved all animals and all creatures, and she wanted every animal to have a place to call home.”

“Knowing that this national wildlife refuge is a place for a bunch of wild animals that travel through the country, and it is somewhere that they can call home, and it is somewhere that they can find a place of safety for them. I just know it would absolutely mean the world to her to know she has something in honor of her in that nature.”

She said that seeing the signs going up around Houston bearing her daughter’s name is “bittersweet.” 

TEXAS GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR HUMAN SMUGGLING AFTER HIGH-SPEED BORDER CHASES

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Nungaray wildlife refuge at twilight

“I went out there to just go see what it was about, what it was like, and the amount of peace I felt just being there, it was just so pure and so peaceful,” said Alexis Nungaray. “Immediately I thought Jocelyn would love this. She would love to be out here.” (Norman Welsh via Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge website)

“I went out there to just go see what it was about, what it was like, and the amount of peace I felt just being there, it was just so pure and so peaceful,” said Nungaray. “Immediately I thought Jocelyn would love this. She would love to be out here.” 

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“She wasn’t just a 12-year-old girl who was strangled and left in a bayou of water,” Nungaray went on. “She was a very creative, talented, free-spirited 12-year-old girl.” 

Smiling, Nungaray added that Jocelyn “was very quirky” and “an old soul.” She liked dressing in 1990s-style cargo jeans and Converse and loved listening to music from as far back as the 1940s and 1950s.

“She was very different and unique. She was an amazing friend,” said Nungaray.

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TED CRUZ MOCKS ‘CRAZY TOWN’ DEMS AS MARYLAND SENATOR GETS DEFENSIVE ABOUT ADVOCACY FOR ALLEGED MS-13 MEMBER

Nungaray vigil mementos, including photo

Nungaray told Fox News Digital that she “will always advocate for her and be her voice and stand up for better border control and immigration laws. Because I know one-million percent Jocelyn’s death should have been preventable.” (Getty Images)

Nungaray said she is very grateful to Trump for both his support and for “keeping his promises” regarding immigration enforcement.

“I support immigration, but I say there’s just a right way and a wrong way to do it,” she explained. “He’s protecting the people, and he’s taking consideration to the people, us the citizens and making sure we’re safe and our kids are safe, women are safe, that we’re all safe in our communities.”

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” she went on. “But I will always advocate for her and be her voice and stand up for better border control and immigration laws. Because I know one-million percent Jocelyn’s death should have been preventable.”

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Pritzker says Trump ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon and other locations

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Pritzker says Trump ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon and other locations

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on Sunday that President Donald Trump will deploy 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon and other locations.

The deployment came as protests against federal law enforcement ramp up across the country, particularly in Portland and Chicago.

In the Windy City, multiple people were arrested in recent days for reportedly ramming their vehicles into DHS and ICE agents’ cars.

After announcing Trump’s deployment on X late Sunday, Pritzker wrote that “no officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.”

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CHICAGO ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS BLOCK VEHICLES, GET HIT WITH TEAR GAS AND PEPPER BALLS

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized President Trump’s decision to deploy 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois and Oregon. (Getty Images)

“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” the Democratic governor wrote.

“It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.”

Pritzker also disclosed that he called Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate.”

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ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES

Law enforcement clashes with anti-ICE protesters

Police clash with demonstrators during a protest outside an immigrant processing and detention center on Oct. 3, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation,” the governor added.

“The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.”

In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended his decision, writing on X that he had “fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials.”

Law enforcement stand in front of tear gas cloud

Law enforcement officers stand in tear gas outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility during a protest on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Portland, Ore.  (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

He then added that federal and state leaders must “either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let the Texas Guard do it,” while praising the Guard’s “training, skill and expertise.”

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Abbott also noted that thousands of Texas National Guard troops have remained along the southern border to assist with security operations.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the U.S. is “on the brink of martial law.”

In recent days, large numbers of protesters have rioted against immigration enforcement actions across the country. ICE shared a video of a Portland protester being wheeled into custody on Sunday.

GIF of suspect being rolled away

ICE shared a video showing a suspect being rolled away on a flatbed cart in Portland, Oregon. (@ICEgov via X)

In Broadview, Illinois, on Friday, more than a dozen people were arrested by federal agents during protests at an ICE processing facility. Agents were seen firing pepper balls, tear gas and rubber bullets to clear crowds.

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Dallas train shooting leaves 1 dead, second homicide on DART transit system in a week

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Dallas train shooting leaves 1 dead, second homicide on DART transit system in a week

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One person is dead after a shooting on a Dallas Area Rapid Transit train Sunday night, marking the second deadly incident on the Texas train system in the past week.

The shooting happened near the Pearl/Arts District Station on Bryan Street around 7 p.m., according to FOX 4.

DART police responded after a caller reported an active shooter at the station, the outlet reported. One person was found dead from a gunshot wound on the train.

Details surrounding the incident are limited, but FOX 4 reported a suspect is in custody.

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AMERICA’S COMMUTERS UNDER SIEGE AS VIOLENT TRANSIT CRIMES ENDANGER BLUE CITIES

Police responded to the DART train near Pearl/Arts District Station on Bryan Street after a passenger was shot and killed. (Jordan Bickerstaff via FOX 4)

Fox News Digital reached out to DART for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

The deadly shooting comes less than a week after a man was killed on the DART train last Monday. DART police responded to the Market Center Station on Harry Hines Boulevard at around 10:15 p.m., FOX 4 reported on Wednesday.

Daniel Tom Gormley, 53, was found inside a train car with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders attempted life-saving measures.

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NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR SIGNS ‘IRYNA’S LAW’ AFTER UKRAINIAN REFUGEE’S BRUTAL TRAIN MURDER

Covered up window on DART train after shooting

One person is dead after a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jordan Bickerstaff via FOX 4)

Gormley was a Marine veteran, according to a GoFundMe page aimed at helping the family pay for funeral costs.

“He was a victim of a senseless act of violence while aboard a train in Dallas, Texas, and was taken from us far too soon,” the fundraiser reads. “Our family is heartbroken and completely unprepared for the financial burden of planning a funeral and managing the associated costs. We are reaching out to our community for support during this devastating time.”

Daniel Tom Gormley, shooting victim on DART train in Texas

Daniel Tom Gormley, 53, was shot and killed on a DART train in Dallas on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (GoFundMe)

A DART rail operator reported to police that Gormley told the suspect to get off the train before the suspect fired a gun three times, according to FOX 4. It’s unclear what led to the exchange.

Gormley’s accused killer was identified as Christopher Clemson Akins and was taken into custody quickly, police said.

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DART Police Chief Charles Cato said last Wednesday that such incidents are “extremely rare” and “taken very seriously.”

“DART Police remain deeply committed to the safety of our riders, employees, and the communities we serve,” Cato said, via FOX 4.

DART is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, offering multiple travel options: Light Rail, Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, bus routes, GoLink on-demand services and paratransit services.

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Army veteran-turned-MAGA rising star jumps into fiery GOP Senate primary as polls tighten

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Army veteran-turned-MAGA rising star jumps into fiery GOP Senate primary as polls tighten

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Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas announced Monday that he’s running for the Senate, jumping into an already bitter battle between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and primary challenger Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“The U.S. Senate race in Texas must be about more than a petty feud between two men who have spent months trading barbs,” Hunt said in a statement as he launched his campaign. “With my candidacy, this race will finally be about what’s most important — Texas.”

Hunt’s entry into the race turns up the heat on an already combustible battle between Cornyn, who’s running in 2026 for a fifth six-year term representing red state Texas in the Senate, and Paxton, the MAGA firebrand who’s an ally of President Donald Trump.

Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service and a rising MAGA star who is in his second term representing a safe Republican district in the Houston-area, emphasized in his statement, “My record speaks louder than words. I am the most consistently conservative legislator representing Texas in Congress.”

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IS CORNYN CLOSING THE GAP WITH PAXTON IN THE GOP’S MOST COMBUSTIBLE 2026 SENATE PRIMARY?

Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 15, 2024. (Mike Segar – Reuters)

Cornyn, who is backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, trailed Paxton by double digits at the beginning of the summer.

TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS LARGE IN 2025 ELECTION SHOWDOWNS

But Cornyn has narrowed the polling gap in recent weeks, thanks in part to a massive ad blitz by allies that spotlighted the numerous controversies that have battered Paxton over the past decade.

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Trump, whose endorsement would make a major impact in the Texas primary battle, has remained neutral to date.

Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas campaigns for Trump

Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas opens a Trump 2024 campaign field office in Philadelphia, on June 4, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )

Hunt, pointing to his backing of Trump as the then-former president launched his 2024 White House comeback, touted that “I was the first person in the nation to endorse President Trump, and I have remained steadfast in my commitment to the people of Texas.”

FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS

Hunt had been mulling a Senate run for months and sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that the congressman had made his case to Trump’s political team that he’s the only person who could win both a GOP primary and a general election.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is running for re-election in 2026 for a fifth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. (Reuters)

And an aligned super PAC spent big bucks this summer to increase Hunt’s name recognition across the state of Texas.

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Paxton adviser Nick Maddux, in a statement to Fox News, said that “Primaries are good for our party and our voters, and Paxton and Hunt both know that Texans deserve better than the failed, anti-Trump record of John Cornyn.”

But Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak argued in a statement that “Rep. Wesley Hunt is a legend in his own mind. No one is happier this morning than the national Democrats who are watching Wesley continue his quixotic quest for relevancy, costing tens of millions of dollars that will endanger the Trump agenda from being passed.”

Hunt’s entry into the GOP nomination race could prevent the winner of next March’s primary from winning a majority of the vote, which would trigger a runoff election two and a half months later.

Texas AG Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seen at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, is primary challenging GOP Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 election. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Democrats are hoping for a Paxton victory in the primary, which they believe would make next year’s general election more competitive.

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It’s been nearly four decades since a Democrat won a Senate election in Texas. You have to go back to the 1988 re-election victory by then-Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost last November’s Senate election in Texas to conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz by over 8 points, is running for the 2026 Democratic nomination, along with rising star Texas state Rep. James Talarico and former astronaut Terry Virts.

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