Trump Agrees to Fast-Track Visa for Mother of Bronx Victim
The president granted the visa immediately following a call with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, allowing the mother of Javits Frimpong to return to New York.
By Beatriz Soto ·
The mother of a 15-year-old Bronx resident will receive an immediate visa from the White House, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The visa allows her to travel from Ghana to New York City to attend the funeral of her son, Javits Frimpong, who was killed in a shooting earlier this week.
Mamdani announced the agreement on X on Saturday, stating that he spoke directly with President Donald Trump. The mayor said the president agreed to grant the visa immediately so the family could gather. "Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person," Mamdani wrote in the post. "I just got off the phone with President Trump and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately."
Frimpong, who moved to the Bronx from Ghana a year ago to join his father, was on his way to school when he was shot. New York City police reported that he was struck in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. He was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day. Authorities have not made any arrests, and the case remains under investigation.
The visa decision comes as the administration continues to tighten immigration controls. During his second term, Trump has suspended the processing of visas for applicants from 75 countries. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visa issuance.
U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat representing the Bronx, noted that Frimpong arrived in the United States to start a new life. Torres said the borough is mourning the loss of a young man with a full future ahead. "Every child in the Bronx deserves to walk to school without fearing for their life," Torres said on X. He added that no parent should endure what Javits’s father, Thomas, is facing.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities. The foreign ministry stated it will work with U.S. authorities to secure justice for Frimpong.
Mamdani wrote that the entire city is mourning the tragedy. He described the murder of a child as a pain no parent should endure, particularly one coming from thousands of miles away.
