"I'm honored to be her mom": Trump re-names wildlife refuge in Jocelyn Nungaray's honor

A legacy to live on 

What we know:

HOUSTON - On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an order re-naming the "Anahuac Wildlife Refuge" to the "Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge". 

The refuge is about 60 miles east of Houston, nestled north of Galveston Bay and south of FM 1985. 

"She loved animals so much. It's like a piece of her heart will always be there as well," said Jocelyn's mother, Alexis. 

Jocelyn was killed in North Houston in June 2024 by two undocumented Venezuelan nationals, according to police. 

Since then, Alexis has been on a plight for justice. 

"It's showing honor to a 12-year-old girl whose life was lost right here to two heinous illegal Venezuelans who had no business being here in the first place, to just honor her and her fight and her legacy to live on," she said. 

A national moment 

The D.C. address:

Alexis was there when Trump made the announcement, and she says the entire experience was an honor. 

"I had no idea that was going to happen. It was a really big shock and surprise," she said. I was stunned. "I didn't really know how to react. "It was very surreal, very bittersweet.

Alexis says she noticed a group of people at the address, namely those of the Democratic Party, who did not applaud the re-naming of the refuge. 

"In a way, it did hurt a little bit just to know that, for one moment, something that's not red or blue, right or wrong," she said. "All I asked for was for support."

Open skies, land and water 

The refuge:

The federal refuge in Chambers County is home to wetlands, walking trails and wildlife. According to the website, the refuge's mission is to "protect critically important coastal wetlands so they can continue to benefit people, wildlife, and the economy for generations to come."

The website also says, "The refuge's Shoveler Pond Auto-Tour loop, Butterfly Garden, moist soil units and Skillern Tract are just a few of the places on the refuge where the wildlife watching is spectacular."

Alexis says every time she sees a butterfly, she thinks Jocelyn is watching over her. 

"She had aspirations to save all the animals, and she had aspirations to be famous. She knew everyone was going to know her name," said Alexis. "She would say to me, ‘Everyone’s going to know my name one day, mama. I promise.' I don't know how she knew it, but in her spirit, she did," said Alexis. 

Dig deeper:

More information on the refuge can be found here.

You can watch our full interview with Alexis below: