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A grieving mother whose daughter became the face of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago after her tragic death has penned a heartbreaking letter insisting she 'would not have wanted this.' Katie Abraham, 20, was tragically killed in a car wreck on January 19 involving a drunken illegal immigrant driver. Her death became an immigration flashpoint and the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz - a crackdown on illegal migration across Chicago - in her honor. Now, her devastated mother Denise Lorence has penned a moving tribute to her daughter published in the Chicago Tribune, acknowledging that while Katie's father and his wife agreed for her daughter's name to be used in support of the immigration blitz, it is not what Katie would have wanted. 'I want to acknowledge the depths of her dad's grief. I will never fault or question someone in the way they grieve,' she wrote. 'Having my child's legacy be associated with a politically charged and controversial operation instead of the positivity and light she contributed to those within her community is simply unbearable.' Lorence had chosen not to address the operation or her daughter's ties to it, hoping it would simply 'go away' without the need for her to wade into politics. 'But Katie would not have wanted this,' she wrote. 'Since she was young, Katie was intuitive, full of compassion and empathy, and able to see the big picture beyond her years. 'When you search my daughter's name, you won't find much about who she was. You will find how she is associated with the federal immigration enforcement campaign ''Operation Midway Blitz''.' Lorence noted Katie's death occurred in Urbana, 150 miles from Chicago, and yet the operation had been launched targeting the city directly. She said Chicago was a 'city she not only loved, but felt safe in.' 'Whether or not you agree with Operation Midway Blitz is not the story I am here to write. I am here to tell the story of who Katie was. 'Katie avoided confrontation and tension. She had never spoken out on a political agenda; she was not an activist. 'She did not choose to be thrust into this political spotlight to advance an operation she knew nothing about.' According to the White House, Chicago is a city under siege. Gang members and immigrants in the US illegally have swarmed the city and crime is rampant, President Donald Trump has repeatedly said. He has repeatedly argued National Guard soldiers are needed to protect government facilities from raging left-wing protesters. 'Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World,' he posted on Truth Social. By early October, authorities said more than 1,000 immigrants had been arrested across the area. 'We have a rogue, reckless group of heavily armed, masked individuals roaming throughout our city,' Mayor Brandon Johnson said after a September 30 raid. 'The Trump administration is seeking to destabilize our city and promote chaos.' Katie's father Joe agreed to have his daughter's name tied to the operation. He told ABC7 she was 'a young woman with a 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 illegal immigrant accused of causing the crash, Julio Cucul Bol, has reportedly accepted a plea deal.
