New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Saturday that President Donald Trump has agreed to grant a visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant who was fatally shot in the Bronx earlier this week. Mamdani shared the news on social media after speaking with Trump, stating that the president agreed to issue the visa immediately. The White House has not yet confirmed the decision.
Frimpong was on his way to school in the Bronx shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday when he was shot in the abdomen. He was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day. No arrests have been made, and the killing remains under investigation. Mamdani expressed his condolences, calling the murder of a child a pain no parent should endure, especially from afar.
Frimpong had arrived in the Bronx from Ghana a year ago to reunite with his father and start a new life in the United States. US Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from the Bronx, described the tragedy as a loss for the entire borough, emphasizing that every child should be able to walk to school without fear. Ghanaian officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities, with Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa pledging to work tirelessly for justice.
Trump’s administration has tightened immigration policies during his second term, including suspending visa processing from 75 countries. Despite this, Mamdani’s intervention appears to have secured an exception for Frimpong’s mother.