A mother whose teenage son was murdered by an illegal immigrant took time during her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee to thank Donald Trump for drawing attention to crimes being committed by illegal immigrants.

"Thank you Mr. Trump for getting a message out about the nation in two minutes that for four-and-a-half years solidly Maria Espinosa at the Remembrance Project, and countless families like my own have been trying to say for five to six years," said Laura Wilkerson, whose 18-year-old son Josh was brutally tortured and killed by a so-called DREAMer.

"It feels good to be heard whether you love him or whether you don't," she continued. "I felt heard."

The Wall Street Journal reported that Wilkerson was one of several individuals who testified to the committee Tuesday that their loved ones would still be alive if local authorities had been forced to cooperate with federal immigration laws.

Another testimony came from the father of Kathryn Steinle, whose murder on July 1 in San Francisco sparked the sanctuary city debate and gave a face to the victims of illegal immigrant crime. Her murderer had seven previous felony convictions and had been deported to Mexico five times, but was allowed to stay in the U.S. this time around because of sanctuary city policies.

"I don't want your sympathy. I want you to do something about it," concluded Wilkerson in her testimony.

"Everyone sitting here is in a position to do something. Just throw your hat into the ring for Americans. Don't stay silent because it's going to help you get a vote. Throw your hat into the ring, take care of American families."

Several lawmakers, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Duncan Hunter have proposed bills that would withhold federal funding for local law enforcement if they refuse to cooperate with ICE agents.

Watch her testimony below: