New Jersey ‘Dreamers’ Attend Trump’s 1st State Of Union

When Sen. Cory Booker and Reps. Donald Payne Jr. and Frank Pallone Jr. attended President Trump’s first State of the Union speech on Tuesday, they each brought a guest that represented the “Dreamers” of New Jersey.

In an attempt to protest Trump’s stance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) – which jeopardizes the futures of more than 20,000 New Jersey immigrants – the federal lawmakers each invited a DACA recipient to attend the high-profile event. (Read their stories below)

The clock is ticking on DACA recipients, as protections for so-called "Dreamers" will expire by March 5. The Trump Administration proposed a recent deal that would give a path to citizenship to 1.8 million undocumented people in the U.S., including all the DACA recipients.

However, in exchange, Trump wants $2.5 billion for his wall and other beef-ups to border security. He would also severely limit the number of new immigrants allowed into the U.S.

• See related article: Trump's 2018 State Of The Union (Immigration, National Security)

‘LIVING EMBODIMENT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM’

Payne’s guest, Juan Lopez, is a senior at Newark’s Science Park High School and a student in the Rutgers Future Scholars Program. According to a statement from Rutgers, when Lopez graduates from high school, he plans to stay in Newark to attend the university and study pre-engineering.

Lopez immigrated to the United States from Uruguay at age two and was raised in Newark. He is a “living embodiment of the American Dream,” Payne said.

“Dreamers like Juan Lopez represent the bright future of our nation,” Payne said. “Despite a poisoned political climate that seems designed to make undocumented immigrants fail, Juan has found opportunities to flourish at school and in his community.”

Maria Orrei, a guidance counselor at Lopez’s high school, said that when she thinks about him, the words “well-rounded” come to mind.

“[Juan] is a good-natured and exceptionally bright young man and a very involved member of our Science Park community,” Orrei said. “He has a team player attitude that spans the classroom and the athletic arena.”

For his part, Lopez expressed a bold optimism before settling in for Trump’s speech about his “four pillars” of immigration policy, including “a great wall on the southern border” and end to “chain migration.”

“I have lived the entirety of my life in the same place—the United States of America,” Lopez said. “My family emigrated from a third-world country for the sake of my sister and me, and every day I benefit from that decision. I am a ‘Dreamer,’ and I will continue to dream whether here or wherever the government sends me.”

‘AN OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE’

Pallone’s guest, Esder Chong, is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University–Newark and attended Highland Park High School.

According to Rutgers, Chong came to the United States with her family when she was seven-years-old and aspires to become an attorney. She’s the founder of the “RU Dreamers,” a campus club for young, unauthorized immigrants

Her parents came to the U.S. in 2005 on a work visa and it expired, the university said.

"Esder is an outstanding scholar athlete who is an asset to her community and to her classmates," Pallone said in a statement. "She is exactly the type of young person we should be encouraging and supporting, not deporting. New Jersey is Esder's home and she shouldn't live in fear because of partisanship and procrastination in Congress."

• See related article: DACA Recipient From Highland Park Will Attend State Of The Union

DON’T PAINT US AS ‘THINGS’

Booker’s guest, Elizabeth Vilchis, 29, of Ridgefield Park, came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was seven.

Since then, Vilchis launched her own logistics tech startup that has employed over 800 part-time employees, worked for Samsung leading STEM outreach initiatives for students in grades K-12, and currently runs a nonprofit she founded called latinoTech, which is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs access venture capital.

“I'm bringing Liz to the State of the Union because I hope that her presence shows the president that Dreamers like Liz carry the flame of the American Dream forward,” Booker said. “We must find a permanent path for them immediately. More importantly I hope that Liz's presence will speak to every single Dreamer in America – that we see you, we hear you, we love you and that you matter. This battle is not over.”

Vilchis said that to paint Dreamers as “things” instead of human beings is one of the most un-American things that someone can do.

“If it can happen to Dreamers, what group of people here in the United States could be next?” she asked. “Will we allow that?”

AFTER THE SPEECH...

“President Trump’s so-called ‘pillars of immigration’ are an example of his divisive agenda," Payne said after the State of the Union.

The congressman continued:

"The President called for Congress to eliminate the Diversity Visa Program, which is an important tool to maintain fairness in our nation’s immigration policy. The Diversity Visa Program extends the American dream to countries that have low rates of immigration to the United States. Diversity Visa recipients, particularly those from African countries, are well-educated; and all Diversity Visa recipients must pass a stringent background investigation. President Trump’s attack on the Diversity Visa Program is nothing more than a ploy to rally his base and sow racial animosity. America deserves better."

Pallone also had harsh words for Trump's plans for immigration policy following Tuesday's speech.

"The president also continued to stoke irrational fear of and anger towards immigrant communities," Pallone said. "This projection of hate and intolerance manifested itself in the ransacking of homes of Indonesian Christians in Highland Park and Edison, NJ last week. It is antithetical to American values that have made our country the envy of the world."

Pallone added:

"Rather than attacking immigrants, President Trump should look to the example of my State of the Union guest, Esder Chong. Esder is an outstanding student and a leader in her community. Esder is a courageous young person who has only known as America as her home. She is not criminal. She is not a bargaining chip. The President should abandon his extreme rhetoric on immigration, solve his self -inflicted DACA crisis and then work toward a bipartisan compromise on common sense immigration reform."

• See related article: N.J. Immigrants Are Taxpaying, Hardworking Residents, Study Says
• See related article: 5 Reasons Why Immigrants Make New Jersey Better
• See related article: Can YOU Pass A U.S. Citizenship Test?

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Photo: Rep. Donald Payne Jr., Facebook (used with permission)