Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, offered to meet promptly with an Angel Mom after she testified during the second day of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing that she and other Angel Parents have been «completely ignored» in their push for immigration reform. Durbin told Jennifer Bos, whose daughter's body was found in a bleach-filled container, that he was anxious to meet with her and hoped to do so soon, possibly right after the hearing.
Bos appeared before the committee in support of Blanche's nomination, underscoring the Trump administration's focus on violent crime and immigration enforcement. She is among the Angel Families — relatives of people killed or harmed in crimes involving illegal immigrants — who have pushed lawmakers for stricter immigration enforcement. During an exchange with Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, Bos revealed that it was very difficult for Angel Moms to meet with their lawmakers, noting that this was the first time she had spoken with Durbin. «I haven't spoken with them. He spoke to me,» Bos said.
Britt responded by expressing hope that Durbin and others would meet with Bos, recalling that the ranking member had previously spoken about the need for the attorney general to meet with victims. Bos went on to say that several pieces of legislation introduced last session have been ignored by Democratic officials. «And there hasn't been any way to really get in and talk to anybody, especially those who are opposed to those legislations for whatever reason,» said Bos.
At the end of the hearing, Durbin addressed Bos a second time, offering to meet with her immediately after the hearing ended. «I didn't know it was a hardship for you to make this journey here, testify, from Illinois,» Durbin continued in his remarks to Bos. «And I don't want you to have to wait to see me. I want to meet with you now, and we can talk as soon as this meeting adjourns, if it's okay with you, if it fits in your schedule.»
Bos told senators about the «unbearable agony» her family endured after her daughter, Megan Bos, was found partially decomposed inside a garbage can in April 2025, following a 51-day search. The Lake County, Illinois, Coroner's Office ruled Bos' cause of death «undetermined,» saying the autopsy could not determine how she died or whether her death was a homicide or drug-related. Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico charged in the case, initially was released from local custody after an Illinois judge determined the state charges against him — including two counts of concealment of a death, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice — did not qualify for pretrial detention under state law.
ICE then arrested Mendoza-Gonzalez in Chicago in July 2025, after federal authorities said he was in the country illegally. Bos praised Blanche for stepping in after local officials failed to secure justice. «I'm asking the committee not to wait until another mother is sitting where I am,» Bos said during her opening remarks. «Confirm Todd Blanche. He is a leader who will uphold the law, honor victims, confront dangerous criminal organizations, and fight to give other American families the safety and lasting protection that came too late for mine.»
Mendoza-Gonzalez remains in federal immigration custody after being arrested by ICE in July 2025. He was arrested on charges related to his immigration status and also faces state charges stemming from Bos' death. The case has drawn attention to the broader debate over immigration enforcement and the treatment of victims' families. Angel Families have long argued that their voices are marginalized in Washington, and Bos' testimony highlighted the emotional toll of seeking justice while navigating a complex legal system.
Durbin's offer to meet with Bos, one of his constituents, came amid ongoing scrutiny of the Biden administration's immigration policies and the Trump administration's renewed emphasis on border security. The confirmation hearing for Blanche, who has been endorsed by law enforcement groups, has become a platform for both parties to air their positions on immigration and crime. Bos' appearance underscored the human cost of policy disagreements, as she urged the committee to act swiftly to prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies.
