Tonight is Donald Trump’s third State of the Union address, and some members of Congress — as they have in previous years — are bringing immigrant guests to the speech as a way to spotlight Trump’s horribly destructive changes to immigration policy.
Meanwhile, the Spanish-language response to Trump’s speech will be given by Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), who represents an immigrant-rich district on the southern border, which itself has been deeply impacted by Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants and Trump’s determination to push for the border wall.
Here’s a running list of the immigrants and advocates who will be attending tonight’s State of the Union. They include at least two DACA recipients, a Republican mayor who worked to protect Liberian DED, a U.S. citizen separated from his family due to the Muslim ban, and a leading advocate for Muslim women. We’ll keep updating this list as we know more:
Proud to announce my #SOTU2020 guest—María Rocha. María is a dual language teacher and DACA recipient from San Antonio who has dedicated her life to teaching students about the importance of equitable education for all, regardless of immigration status.
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 3, 2020
.@NPR profiled San Antonio teacher María Rocha in a 2018 story about #DACA teachers: https://t.co/1meaFZKUEa
Now she's headed to #SOTU2020 as @JoaquinCastrotx's guest. @TPRNews https://t.co/E70FqSA75G
— Camille Phillips – Texas Public Radio (@cmpcamille) February 3, 2020
NEW: @RepRubenGallego announces educator and #DACA recipient Vanessa Mendez to be his #SOTU2020 guest.
“Vanessa’s passion for educating children in our community and her commitment to giving back is an inspiration." #HereToStay pic.twitter.com/ABcGfYd03U
— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) February 4, 2020
CONGRATULATIONS! Our client Ismail will be @RepJudyChu's #SOTU guest! His family was torn apart by the #MuslimBan. Tonight, Trump will have to face Ismail's pain and courage. Watch Ismail's story: https://t.co/zFvfVoh8g8 pic.twitter.com/5cY02F8YNk
— Muslim Advocates (@MuslimAdvocates) February 4, 2020
