Trump to grant visa to mother of Bronx teen killed

President Donald Trump has agreed to grant a visa to the mother of a 15-year-old immigrant from Ghana who was killed in the Bronx earlier this week. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the development on Saturday via a post on X, stating he had spoken directly with the president to secure the immediate approval.

The White House did not immediately confirm the decision in response to an email inquiry from The Associated Press. The visa will allow the boy's mother to travel from Ghana to New York to attend her son's funeral.

Javits Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on Thursday just before 9:30 a.m. while walking to school in a Bronx neighborhood. New York City police reported that he was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day. No arrests have been made, and the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Frimpong arrived in the Bronx from Ghana one year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat representing the Bronx, noted that the teen was on his way to school when the incident occurred. Torres said the borough is mourning the loss of a young man who had his whole future ahead of him.

Thomas Frimpong told reporters that his son was a quiet teenager who spent much of his time on his cellphone. He revealed that several days before the shooting, the school principal informed him that two other students were bullying his son. The principal had suspended those two students. Thomas Frimpong said he called his son after hearing the news, and Javits replied that he was okay.

Ghana's Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that Ghanaian officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities. Ablakwa wrote that the foreign ministry will work with U.S. authorities to ensure justice is secured for the family.

The visa approval comes as the administration continues to tighten immigration policies. President Trump has suspended the processing of visas from 75 countries during his second term.