President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near Galveston Bay in honor of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Houston girl who was strangled and killed by two men accused of entering the country illegally.

Nungaray’s death last year quickly sparked outrage among Republican lawmakers who have since called for additional measures to harden the southern border and backed border legislation in honor of the girl.

RELATED: Senator Ted Cruz introduces legislation called Justice for Jocelyn Act

Nungaray’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, has been a staunch advocate for increased border security since the death of her daughter, repeatedly standing alongside Republican politicians in their call for stronger measures.

On Tuesday, she attended Trump’s address to the House chamber, when the president announced he would rename the 34,000-acre wildlife refuge east of Houston.

“The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly,” Trump said. “Alexis, I promised that we would always remember your daughter. your magnificent daughter and earlier tonight I signed an order keeping my word to you.”

The executive order signed Tuesday cited Jocelyn Nungaray’s love for animals and “passion for ensuring that they had homes.”

The Secretary of the Interior will be charged with providing guidance to ensure federal references to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge reflect the renaming, including on agency maps, contracts and other documents, according to the order.

“One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much,” Trump said. “She loved nature.”

Law enforcement officials last year said Nungaray snuck out of her family’s apartment the night of June 17 and walked to a convenience store down the street from her home, where she was spotted on surveillance video with two Venezuelan men.

Her body was discovered the next morning in a shallow creek below a bridge at 400 West Rankin Rd. Johan Martinez-Rangel, 21, and Franklin Peña, 26, have been charged with capital murder and sexual assault in the case.

Shortly after her death, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that the two men had entered the country near El Paso without inspection, parole or admission by immigration officers. Since then, the murder has garnered national attention.

Outgoing Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg last year said her office planned to seek the death penalty against the men.