Press Release
Patty Morin Returns to Capitol Hill to Testify Before Congress on Border Crisis
September 17, 2024 – Washington, D.C. – Patty Morin, mother of slain Maryland mother of five Rachel Morin, will return to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress. Patty Morin has been invited to speak at the upcoming hearing titled “A Country Without Borders: How the Biden-Harris Open Borders Policies Have Undermined Our Safety and Security,” held by the Committee on Homeland Security.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EDT in Room 310 of the Cannon House Office Building.
Patty Morin will continue her efforts to raise awareness about the dangers facing American families following the tragic murder of her daughter Rachel at the hands of an alleged illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Her testimony will focus on the preventable nature of the crime that claimed Rachel’s life, highlighting how the current administration’s lack of decisive action has contributed to a rise in violence and insecurity across the nation.
Last week, Patty Morin delivered powerful testimony before the House Committee on the Judiciary, where she moved legislators with her compelling account of Rachel’s life and the circumstances of her death. Her words resonated deeply with lawmakers, emphasizing the need for immediate reform to address the ongoing border crisis and the threat posed by illegal immigrant crime.
Randolph Rice, managing partner of Rice, Murtha, Psoras, expressed his support for Patty’s continued advocacy: “Patty Morin has been called back to Congress because her story is one of courage and undeniable truth. The pain of losing her daughter, Rachel, to a preventable crime at the hands of an illegal immigrant has driven her to speak out against the policies that have failed to protect American citizens. This is not just about one family’s loss — this is about the lives of countless Americans who are at risk due to the inaction of our leaders.”
Patty Morin will be available for interviews following her testimony and can also be scheduled for in-studio appearances at media outlets in Washington, D.C. For interview requests, please contact attorney Randolph Rice.
Patty Morin’s Written Testimony
Committee on Homeland Security
Chairman, Ranking Members, and Members of Congress: Good morning.
My name is Patricia Morin. Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of my family and my daughter Rachel Morin, who was brutally raped and murdered at the hands of an illegal immigrant. This is her story.
The American people need to hear, know, and understand the truth of the horrendous war zone we call the southern border.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s open border policy is having a devastating impact across our great nation. I live 1,800 miles from the southern border in a small town in northern Maryland. Yet a man who was wanted for murder in El Salvador made his way to my community… and ambushed my daughter on a quaint walking trail in broad daylight.
I’m here today to make sure that my daughter is remembered as more than a victim. I hope that her story will be the wake-up call that this country needs to secure its borders and protect American citizens.
As a child, Rachel was imaginative, kind, and upbeat – qualities she brought with her into adulthood. She was a loving daughter and formed strong bonds with her siblings. She was funny and exuberant, with an infectious laugh.
Life wasn’t always easy for Rachel. She had a speech impediment growing up, which led to a lot of bullying. She did not let that challenge slow her down or define her worth. It made her even more sensitive and loving towards others who felt unloved.
As a mother, Rachel was playful and silly. She often laughed, joked, and played with her kids like she was a kid, too. This is pretty remarkable when you consider that Rachel was a mother of five, which is a tremendous responsibility.
Holidays and celebrations were very important to Rachel. She went all out to decorate and create memorable and magical moments for her children. Those efforts are especially meaningful now since memories are all that her children have left of their mother.
Rachel created meaningful connections with her kids through everyday activities as well. She believed in health and movement. Walks, swimming, working out, and bike rides were always part of Rachel’s routine.
She grew up walking the quaint “Ma & Pa” trail near our house. We always thought of the trail as a safe haven to get outside and find peace in nature. It never occurred to us that a predator would target Rachel while she was jogging on that bright, sunny day in August 2023.
The circumstances of Rachels’s death triggered extreme shock and denial for our family.
We felt heartbroken at the severity and cruelty of the crime.
We experienced extreme terror and nightmares for months. To this day, we still do not feel completely safe in our own homes and community.
We are grieving the loss of Rachel’s life and the future that was taken from her. That trauma is different for every member of the family. I lost my daughter, and I am heartbroken for her children. Rachel’s siblings are mourning the bright light that Rachel brought to our family. The most traumatic impact is on Rachel’s five children, each of whom is struggling to figure out how to cope without their mom.
Rachel’s eldest daughter is pregnant and will soon have a daughter of her own. She is navigating that path into womanhood and motherhood without her own mother. Her baby’s birth is another milestone Rachel can’t share with us, and that sadness underscores every life event now.
The circumstances of Rachel’s death compounded our grief. It took months for investigators to find Rachel’s killer. While that process played out, our family endured false accusations and assaults on our character. Instead of lifting us up, some community members froze us out. Relatives lost jobs because some community members thought it was bad business to mix with a family amid a murder investigation.
We felt helpless and defeated as the months passed without an arrest. Finally, police released a sketch of the suspect, which renewed our hope. We made commercials, distributed flyers, and did countless interviews to bring attention to the case. The nationwide manhunt ultimately led police to an El Salvadoran national. This suspected gang member was arrested at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and extradited to Maryland.
We felt relieved when the suspect was finally caught. But that relief quickly turned to horror and outrage when we learned that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. This man was wanted for killing a woman in his home country when he walked into ours.
What’s worse is that border patrol would have known that if they had followed the law and swabbed him for DNA the first three times he tried to get into this country. They just turned him around and allowed him to come back again and again until he finally got through the border.
Border patrol let a man with an open interpol warrant for murder walk right into our country to continue his crime spree. The open border policy of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris caused my daughter’s death. It allowed a dangerous man to flee his home country to avoid capture and bring his reign of terror to American citizens. Not only did this man brutalize my daughter. He’s also accused of attacking a nine-year-old girl in California. Who knows what else he did while traveling from coast to coast?
American citizens are not safe because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris removed the policies and safeguards that keep criminals out of our country. Their failed open border policies have led to two murders by illegal immigrants in my small town alone.
I really want you to hear my words and take to heart what I and other families across America are saying. Please hear our cries for help! You each have taken an oath…an oath to serve our nation and the citizens who make it great. Protect Americans by securing our borders.
We are losing American mothers, daughters, and children to criminals. These deaths are 100 percent preventable. Let’s use our resources to protect Americans and welcome immigrants who choose to enter our country legally. This makes much more sense than spending taxpayer money to feed, house, and provide medical care to illegal immigrants.
The Biden /Harris administration has turned a deaf ear to the people they swore to protect. Please don’t do the same. It’s common sense to screen the people entering our country to ensure that they are here to contribute to our society rather than debase it and harm our citizens.
Do this for Rachel. Please.