Laken Riley's sister says family has 'hope' after Trump immigration changes: 'Still a lot to be done'

EXCLUSIVE: Laken Riley’s sister said she and her family have “hope” due to the immigration policies President Donald Trump has put in place, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that, while there is “still a lot to be done,” continuing in the direction of the new administration “will be very beneficial to our country.” 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was brutally assaulted and murdered by an illegal migrant while on a morning run in February 2024. 

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Her sister, Lauren Phillips, told Fox News Digital that she will always speak out in honor and remembrance of her older sister, and will continue to advocate for “securing our borders.” 

“I think it’s important that we keep reminding people of the importance of securing our borders and what can happen when it’s not secure,” Phillips told Fox News Digital. 

“We definitely feel hope – we just need to keep talking about it and keep everyone aware of what happens when nothing is done,” she continued. “And I think a lot has been done so far, and I am grateful for that, but there is still a lot to be done.” 

She added: “I think that continuing in the direction that the new administration is going will be very beneficial to our country.” 

Phillips, on Thursday, was featured in the first video launched by the American Border Story (TABS), a national initiative dedicated to exposing the human impact of America’s border crisis through storytelling. 

“I really feel it’s important because it didn’t stop with Laken – it keeps happening,” Phillips told Fox News Digital. “I feel like just telling what’s happening to all of these people isn’t enough.” 

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“People aren’t realizing what’s truly being lost every single time something like this happens,” she said. 

The TABS video is the first in a series that aims to bring “the truth to light.” 

“Truth the media and politicians too often ignore,” Nicole Kiprilov, executive director of TABS, told Fox News Digital. “Laken Riley’s story is not just a tragedy – it’s a wake-up call.” 

Kiprilov said TABS is “honored to stand with her sister Lauren and brave families across America who are turning pain into purpose.” 

“This documentary is about more than remembrance – it’s about demanding accountability, restoring safety and putting the American people first,” Kiprilov said. 

Phillips, in the video, spoke about her sister, their relationship and Riley’s faith, while stressing that protecting the border “should be common sense.” 

“I could talk about her forever,” Phillips told Fox News Digital. “I think Laken is just the type of person that you want to be around. She’s the type of person that shows up and she wasn’t just my sibling – she was my best friend.” 

“A lot of people would say her presence brought so much comfort and strength and peace, and I carry a lot of what she taught me in my everyday life,” she continued. “She had a light that is so impossible to ignore.” 

Meanwhile, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law just days after taking office. It was the first piece of legislation he signed in his second administration. 

The measure directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration.

But Phillips told Fox News Digital that despite changes to federal law, it is “terrifying to have to walk around the same city where such a tragic thing happened to my sister.” 

Riley was murdered near the University of Georgia campus in Athens, which is considered an unofficial sanctuary city. 

“The laws that were not put in place are still not put in place in a city where something so tragic happened,” Phillips said. “I thought what happened to Laken would change that, but nothing has changed there, so I think continuing to talk about it, not backing down, not staying quiet, hopefully, will do something.” 

In addition to being vocal on immigration and honoring the life of her sister, Phillips said she and her family have created the Laken Hope Foundation. 

“I thank God every day that I have the space to share, and that he gave me Laken for the time that he did, and I thank him for her faith and his faithfulness to know that none of this compares to what we’re going to be given and where she is.”