Trump Agrees to Visa for Mother of Slain Bronx Teen
On October 31, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said President Donald Trump had agreed to immediately grant a visa so Javits Frimpong’s mother could travel from Ghana. Frimpong was a 15-year-old Bronx student killed in a shooting. The visa would allow her to travel from Ghana to be with her son for a final farewell. The White House had not confirmed the arrangement publicly, and the type of visa was not specified.
Frimpong suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen Thursday morning as he walked to school near Crotona Park. Police said he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he died. No arrests had been made, and the killing remained under investigation. Police said three teenage boys were wanted in connection with the shooting.
Frimpong’s father, Thomas, said he had brought his son from Ghana about a year earlier to live with him. He told a television station that his son had faced bullying at school, and that students involved had recently been suspended. Authorities have not announced a motive.
Family members, religious leaders and community members gathered Friday at the spot where Frimpong collapsed. Leandra Feliz, whose 15-year-old son was killed in 2018, attended to support the family. The city’s education department said counseling and other support were being made available to students, families and staff. Ghanaian officials in New York were coordinating with local authorities, Ghana’s foreign minister said.
A Mother’s Visa Shouldn’t Depend on a Presidential Call
A grieving mother in Ghana may be able to reach New York to say goodbye to her murdered son because Mayor Zohran Mamdani personally called President Donald Trump. Mamdani said on October 31 that Trump agreed to grant the visa immediately. The White House had not publicly confirmed the arrangement, and the type of visa was not specified.
Frimpong, 15, was shot in the abdomen Thursday morning while walking to school near Crotona Park. He died at St. Barnabas Hospital. Police said three teenage boys were wanted in connection with the shooting; no arrests had been made, and the investigation continued.
The case underscores the human cost of an immigration system that can leave a parent thousands of miles from a child at the moment of unimaginable loss. Trump has tightened immigration policy during his second term, including suspending visa processing from 75 countries. The promised visa is a humane step, but the family should not have to rely on a high-level phone call to bring a mother to her son.
Frimpong’s father said he brought him from Ghana about a year ago and that the boy had faced bullying at school. Authorities have not announced a motive. Community members gathered at the site Friday, while the city’s education department said counseling and other support were being offered to students, families and staff.
Trump Makes Compassionate Visa Exception for Grieving Mother
President Donald Trump agreed to an immediate entry visa for Javits Frimpong’s mother, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on October 31. The decision would let her travel from Ghana to mourn her son in person. The White House had not publicly confirmed the arrangement, and the visa category was not specified.
The agreement is a direct act of compassion in a case involving a family’s urgent need. Frimpong was shot in the abdomen Thursday morning while walking to school near Crotona Park and died later at St. Barnabas Hospital. Police said three teenage boys were wanted in the shooting. No arrests had been made, and the investigation remained active.
Trump has taken a restrictive approach to immigration, including suspending visa processing from 75 countries. That policy context makes the reported decision a targeted response to a family’s exceptional circumstances—not a change to the broader rules. Mamdani said he had spoken with the president directly.
Frimpong’s father said his son came from Ghana about a year ago to live with him. He also said the boy had experienced bullying at school, though authorities have not announced a motive for the killing. Religious leaders and community members gathered Friday to remember the teenager, and the city’s education department said support services were available to the school community.
Reported by Gothamist, ABC7 New York, New York Post, WTOP, The Washington Examiner, amNY, Fox News, Daily Mail US.
