California woman whose parents were deported to attend President Trumps State of the Union
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Among the guests attending President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening will be 28-year-old Stephanie Quintino, whose parents were deported to Colombia a year ago.The mixed-status family was among the first to be impacted by Trump’s mass deportation agenda that expanded to detain and deport immigrants living legally and illegally in the country, and in some cases American citizens.U.S.Rep.
Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano), whose district includes parts of Orange and San Diego counties, said he invited Quintino while contemplating the administration’s immigration policies that he views as being cruel and inhumane toward immigrants who have contributed positively to the economy and society.“I think the first family that I heard about where I recognized the cruelty and the inhumanity of it all was the Gonzalez family,” he said, referring to Quintino’s parents.Levin said having Quintino present at the State of the Union is a way to put a face to the cruelty of the Trump administration’s deportation policies, which have torn many families apart.In a phone interview Tuesday, Levin said he was appreciative that Quintino accepted the invitation and that she has advocated for the Dignity Act, a bipartisan proposal to reform the U.S.
immigration system.The act would secure the border and provide a seven-year program for legal status without amnesty and mandate restitution payments, background checks and work authorization for people who have been in the U.S.
long-term without documentation.Levin helped reintroduce the bill.
Quintino said it was important to represent her parents and other immigrant families who came to the country seeking a better life for their families and children.“I’m really happy that I get to represent that and just be a voice for so many people who don’t have this type of opportunity,” she said.World & Nation A ne...