Campaign Action
Two House Democrats have invited Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as their guests to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address later this month. With Republican leadership in Congress so far refusing to pass legislation to protect them—and Stephen Miller puppeteering the nativist agenda in the Oval Office—the list of immigrant youth could keep on growing:
Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that Ana Campa Castillo, who came to the United States from Mexico City when she was 6 years old, will be his guest to Trump’s State of the Union speech. Castillo is pursuing an associate’s degree in psychology at Joliet Junior College and is the vice president of Latinos Unidos, one of the largest student organizations.
“I’m proud of the thousands of DREAMers who have come forward to share their stories,” Foster said in a statement. “In my district, Ana is a shining example of the American dream. DREAMers like Ana are hardworking, driven, and patriotic, so it’s unfortunate that President Trump and Republican Leadership in Congress have chosen to use them as pawns in the legislative process."
A second Democrat, Oregon’s Rep. Earl Blumenauer, not only became the first member of Congress to say that he would be boycotting Trump’s speech, but also announced on Facebook that he would be sending a DACA recipient in his place. ”Since I won't be attending the SOTU,” Blumenauer wrote, “I'll be sending an Oregon Dreamer in my place to remind Trump that these are real people with families and jobs, who are vital to our communities. They deserve certainty and protection.”
Earlier this month, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) also announced she would be inviting Cindy Garcia, wife of deported Michigan immigrant Jorge Garcia, as her guest. Garcia, a dad of two U.S. citizens, was deported on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day despite having no criminal record. Without the DREAM Act, 800,000 young immigrants could also be facing deportation. “I hope [Ana’s] presence will remind my colleagues to bring up the DREAM Act for a clean vote,” said Congressman Foster, “and tell President Trump why it’s so important these young people stay in the United States.”