Mamdani says Trump will issue visa for mother of slain Bronx student Javits Frimpong

New York City politics intersected with federal immigration policy on Saturday after Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a direct line of communication with President Donald Trump. The mayor stated on social media that the president agreed to grant a visa to the mother of a 15-year-old student killed in the Bronx earlier in the week.

Mamdani wrote on X that he had just finished a call with Trump, who agreed to the visa immediately. The mayor framed the decision as a personal response to tragedy, stating that the mother of Javits Frimpong deserved to say goodbye to her son in person. He noted that the murder of a child is a pain no parent should endure from thousands of miles away.

Frimpong, a native of Ghana, was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday while walking to school. New York City police reported that he was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day. The killing remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made as of the announcement.

The White House had not immediately confirmed the visa issuance via email to The Associated Press. The delay in official confirmation leaves the status of the administrative action pending, though the mayor’s public assertion provides a specific timeline for the family’s next steps.

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat representing the Bronx, highlighted the family’s recent arrival in the United States. Frimpong came to the Bronx a year ago to join his father, Thomas, and start a new life. Torres described the borough as mourning a young man whose future had been cut short, emphasizing that every child in the area deserves to walk to school safely.

Thomas Frimpong told reporters that his son was a quiet teenager who spent much of his time on his cellphone. The father revealed that a principal informed him several days before the shooting that Javits was being bullied. The principal suspended two students for disturbing Javits, and Thomas spoke with his son by phone afterward, receiving reassurance that he was okay.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated that officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities. The foreign ministry said it will work with U.S. authorities to ensure justice is secured. The visa agreement comes as Trump continues to tighten immigration controls during his second term, including a suspension of visa processing for 75 countries.