Tammy Nobles, the mother of Kayla Hamilton, recently testified at a U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security hearing titled, "Voices for the Victims: The Heartbreaking Reality of the Mayorkas Border Crisis". As one of three witnesses present, Nobles spoke about the tragic murder of her daughter, who fell victim to violent crime.
Nobles' testimony included two poignant statements. She said, "For me this is not a political issue; this is a safety issue for everyone living in the United States. This could have been anyone’s daughter." Furthermore, she added, "If we had stricter border policies my daughter would still be alive today. Nothing will bring my daughter back nor fix the pain of not having her here, but I want to prevent this from happening to someone else’s child. This isn’t about immigration; this is about protecting everyone in the United States."
The hearing forms part of ongoing impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, led by House Republicans and reported by CBS News. Accusations against Mayorkas include his alleged failure to enforce national laws amidst record numbers of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chairman of the committee, stated that "This hearing is about the human costs of Secretary Mayorkas' egregious misconduct and failure to fulfill his oath of office."
According to Nobles' testimony, her 20-year-old daughter Kayla was brutally raped and murdered by an MS-13 gang member in her own room on July 27, 2022. The assailant strangled Kayla with a cord and left her lifeless body on the floor after robbing her of $6.
In her testimony, Nobles highlighted failures by both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). She claimed that DHS employees failed to visually inspect the assailant for gang-related tattoos and neglected to verify his MS-13 affiliation with the El Salvador government before he entered the United States.
Nobles also criticized DHS supervisors for their inadequate training and supervision of employees tasked with screening minors entering the U.S. She further discussed DHHS failures, stating that "DHHS employees neglected and recklessly failed to verify a legitimate family member of the assailant or sponsor before allowing him to enter U.S. soil."
Outside of her recent involvement in this case, Nobles is a 46-year-old realtor residing in Norfolk, Virginia. She also volunteers part-time as president of the Down Syndrome Association of Hampton Roads.
