Congressman Invites Undocumented Immigrant to State of the Union
On Tuesday evening, during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, a Democratic congressman brought an undocumented immigrant as his guest.
Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts invited Marcelo Gomez da Silva, who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying his student visa. After ICE’s intervention, Gomez da Silva went to Moulton’s Congressional office after being cited for his illegal status.
Following the address, Moulton’s Communications Director, Aidan Curran, stated that an official announcement from the Department of Homeland Security had led to the decision to remove Gomez da Silva from the audience. Curran claimed this was a precautionary measure.
Around 9:45 p.m., staff from Moulton’s office escorted Gomez da Silva out of the House Gallery. After the State of the Union concluded, he returned to the office to watch the remainder of the address.
Throughout Trump’s speech, House Democrats did not rise when the president suggested prioritizing American citizens over undocumented immigrants. In response, Moulton criticized DHS on social media.
Moulton emphasized that Gomez da Silva had lived in the U.S. since he was six and had no criminal record, expressing concern over how ICE was targeting individuals like him. He argued this behavior only contributed to a sense of fear among young people seeking to build a future in the U.S.
Moreover, DHS admonished Moulton for inviting Gomez da Silva, and also called out other Democratic senators, including John Hickenlooper from Colorado and Chuck Schumer from New York, for having undocumented immigrants as guests at the address.
DHS issued a statement describing Gomez da Silva as an illegal alien without the right to remain in the country, reaffirming their commitment to law enforcement against undocumented immigrants.
Tom Homan, a border czar, mentioned in a past interview that ICE agents would not overlook undocumented immigrants they come across, regardless of whether they have a criminal record, underscoring a strict enforcement policy.
