The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a video to honor Megan Bos, an Illinois woman whose body was discovered in a garbage can in Waukegan, Illinois, on April 10, 2025. Bos would have turned 38 this month.
According to authorities, Bos had been visiting the home of Jose Mendoza-Gonzalez, who is identified as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Mendoza-Gonzalez claimed that Bos was under the influence of drugs and that he found her unresponsive, believing she had died from an overdose. He reportedly left her body in his basement for several days before disposing of it in a garbage can outside his residence and later pouring bleach on the remains. The body remained there for nearly two months.
Mendoza-Gonzalez faced charges including abuse of a corpse, two counts of concealing the death of a person, and obstructing justice. These are classified as Class 4 felonies but are not detainable offenses under current Illinois law. As a result, Mendoza-Gonzalez was released after his court appearance until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested him in Chicago on July 19, 2025.
Jennifer Bos commented on the situation: “I hate that ICE is being treated the way they are. Please hold strong, please keep doing it, please don’t give up. I know, for me, I’m so grateful that you’re doing it. And there’s so many people who are so grateful that you’re there doing that,” she said. “Every crime that is committed by somebody who does not belong here is a crime that could have been prevented. It didn’t have to happen. They’re doing horrible things and people like Governor Pritzker are protecting them anyway. We’re just asking to get rid of the criminals who hurt our families.”
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also addressed the case: “Our hearts break for the family of Megan Bos, a victim of illegal alien crime completely abandoned by the sanctuary policies of Illinois and J.B. Pritzker,” she said. “THIS is why we do what we do. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS is prioritizing the lives of innocent Americans victimized by illegal aliens. We are targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens to stop another preventable tragedy. In fact, 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted in a crime in the U.S.”
In April 2025, Secretary Noem relaunched the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office at DHS after it had previously been closed during the Biden administration.
The VOICE office was initially established in 2017 during President Trump’s administration as a resource for individuals affected by crimes connected to immigration status.
DHS continues its efforts to protect communities across America from similar incidents and encourages victims or their families seeking support related to crimes involving undocumented immigrants to contact its VOICE Office at 1-855-488-6423.
