Family of Young Woman Killed by Illegal Immigrant Attends State of the Union Address
The father and brother of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old woman who lost her life due to an illegal immigrant, are heading to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night to witness President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. This comes after the Trump administration played a role in locating the man responsible for her death.
Sarah, who hailed from Iowa, died shortly after graduating from Bellevue University in Nebraska. Tragically, she was struck and killed by a drunk driver whose blood alcohol content was over three times the legal limit.
The driver, Eswin Mejia, was unlawfully in the U.S. during the incident in January 2016, as confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security. After being arrested, he managed to post bail the following month and ultimately fled the country.
President Trump, at the time, voiced his dissatisfaction with the Obama administration’s handling of the aftermath. Following a thorough search, Mejia was located in Honduras and extradited back to the U.S. in March 2025. He was later sentenced to over 20 years in prison.
Scott Root, Sarah’s father, and her brother will be there in person at the invitation of Representative Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Iowa.
Feenstra remarked, “I think the message this sends is, under President Trump, we will find you. If you are an illegal criminal in this state or this country, we will find you and you will be deported or prosecuted. That’s a loud and clear message.”
Scott Root was present in the White House during the signing of the Laken-Reilly Act, a significant anti-illegal immigration piece of legislation. This law includes an amendment named after Sarah Root, mandating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain unauthorized immigrants accused of causing severe harm or death.
Feenstra continued, emphasizing the importance of Scott Root’s attendance at the State of the Union, explaining that he has established a rapport with President Trump over the years.
Efforts to tackle illegal immigration have been a prominent agenda for Trump’s administration, with continued criticism aimed at former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden over their records on this issue.
