DACA Recipients, Asylum Seeker Attend State of the Union

President Trump began the week with the State of the Union address, in which, among other things, he highlighted his immigration enforcement policies.  There were some interesting guests at the speech.

 A San Antonio school teacher attended the State of the Union address.  Maria Rocha Carrillo, a San Antonio dual language school teacher, was U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro’s guest at the SOTU address.  Rocha wore her monarch butterfly pin to represent her fellow Dreamers. Rocha was brought to the United States from Mexico by her parents when she was 3 years old. Currently, she is among an estimated 800,000 others in the U.S. whose fate rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. Rocha said she saw the Supreme Court justices in the front row Tuesday night.

In addition, Maria Lidia Meza Castro, the asylum-seeker who was photographed clutching her young children as they fled tear gas launched at them by U.S. authorities at the border last year.   California Rep. Jimmy Gomez invitted Castro to the SOTU.

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego invited Vanessa Mendez, a second-grade teacher and DACA recipient, as his guest. “Vanessa’s passion for educating children in our community and her commitment to giving back is an inspiration,” he said. “I hope Vanessa’s attendance will help inspire President Trump and Republicans to stop using DREAMers as political pawns and allow these young aspiring Americans to remain permanently in the country they call home.”

KJ