Congress Enshrines New Name for Wildlife Refuge to Honor Slain Texas Girl

The House of Representatives approved a bill this week enshrining the name of a wildlife preserve to memorialize a young Texas girl killed more than a year ago, allegedly by a pair of illegal aliens. 

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who sponsored the legislation in the Senate, told The Daily Signal, “Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered just north of Houston. The bill will codify President [Donald] Trump’s executive order and permanently rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas in her memory,” adding:

We will never forget this young Texan, and this will ensure her legacy lives on forever.

The Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act is now headed to Trump’s desk after passing both chambers of Congress. The legislation codifies into federal law the changing of the name of the wildlife refuge in Anahuac, Texas, to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

The two illegal aliens charged with killing Jocelyn on June 16, 2024, are said to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a brutal Venezuelan criminal organization that has been designated a foreign terrorist organization under Trump. 

Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 23, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 27, have been charged with capital murder.

The wildlife refuge was renamed through an executive order by Trump in March to honor Jocelyn. Trump told Jocelyn’s mother during his address to a joint session of Congress in March that he “promised that we would always remember your daughter, your magnificent daughter.” 

“She loved animals and had a passion for ensuring that they had homes. It is fitting and in the national interest, therefore, that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, a scenic area for coastal wildlife and recreation along the Gulf of America near Jocelyn’s home in Texas, will forever honor and preserve the memory of a beautiful American, Jocelyn Nungaray,” the White House said in a March 5 statement.

The legislation that now goes to the president’s desk to be signed would prevent a future president from changing the name back through another executive order. The refuge, established in 1963 and comprising about 39,000 acres, is a sanctuary for wildlife, including migratory birds. It is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and used for conservation, public recreation, and education about the environment.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement: “We have a duty to honor [Jocelyn’s] memory, and to bear witness alongside her family. I applaud my colleagues in the House for passing this, which codifies President Trump’s order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”

Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, who sponsored the legislation in the House, explained that the “refuge will forever honor her bright spirit, her love for animals, and the beautiful life she should have been able to live. It also stands as a solemn reminder of the devastating cost of an open border—and our responsibility to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.”