Democrat invites detained immigrant rights activist's wife to Trump State of the Union address

Democrat invites detained immigrant rights activist's wife to Trump State of the Union address
© Cameron Lancaster

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) has invited the wife of detained immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir to President TrumpDonald John TrumpSchiff blasts Trump for making 'false claims' about Russia intel: 'You've betrayed America. Again.' Poll: Sanders leads 2020 Democratic field with 28 percent, followed by Warren and Biden More than 6 in 10 expect Trump to be reelected: poll MORE's first State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. 

Amy Gottlieb said she will "go proudly ... to what I'm sure will be a fascinating experience at the State of the Union address," according to The Associated Press.

Ragbir was arrested during a routine check-in meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York earlier this month. 

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Eighteen people were arrested, including two New York City council members, at a demonstration outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building after Ragbir was detained. 

Velázquez and Gottlieb, who is an immigrant rights lawyer, also rallied outside of the ICE offices in New York on Saturday, along with Democratic Reps. Carolyn MaloneyCarolyn Bosher MaloneyHouse Oversight accuses Border Patrol of blocking investigation into secret Facebook group Lawmakers grill Census Bureau officials after report on cybersecurity issues Booker, Merkley propose federal facial recognition moratorium MORE (N.Y.), Joseph Crowley (N.Y.) and Yvette ClarkeYvette Diane ClarkeSanders, Warren battle for progressive endorsements Hillicon Valley: FBI to now notify state officials of cyber breaches | Pelosi rips 'shameful' Facebook | 5G group beefs up lobby team | Spotify unveils playlists for pets Jewish advocates pressure social media platforms, Congress to regulate online anti-Semitic speech MORE (N.Y.).

The State of the Union comes as Congress works with the White House to reach a deal to protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump said last September that he would end the Obama-era program, but gave Congress time to come up with a solution for recipients of the program, immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. 

Congress has been at an impasse over how to protect DACA recipients, who are often called "Dreamers."

The disagreement boiled over earlier this month when Republicans and Democrats were unable to compromise on a bill to fund the government, resulting in a government shutdown. 

In a one-page immigration framework released last week, Trump calls for granting a pathway to citizenship for nearly 2 million Dreamers in exchange for tens of billions of dollars for his border wall and other policies that would dramatically restrict legal immigration.