The president has barely been in office a year at this point, although for many, it no doubt feels like it’s been much longer than that. He’s inspired countless demonstrations against the oppressive policies that he’s attempted to enact as president, including his relentless attacks on immigrants.
In the face of all of this, the president is preparing to give his first State of the Union address later this week, and a guest has been announced who represents everything that the president has long made it clear that he hates.
New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez has announced her invitation of Amy Gottlieb, wife of immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, to the president’s address, and Gottlieb has made her acceptance of the invitation public, saying that she will “go proudly… to what I’m sure will be a fascinating experience at the State of the Union address.”
Gottlieb’s husband Ragbir was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers earlier this month during what’s described by the Associated Press as a “routine check-in.”
The government’s position is that activist Ragbir “should be deported because of a 2001 wire fraud conviction involving a New Jersey mortgage company where Ragbir worked that was caught up in a fraud scheme,” according to the AP. In response to the case against him, Ragbir contends that he should not be held liable for the scheme at his company, “contending he was just an employee doing his job, unaware of any fraudulent activity.”
Ragbir’s allies, including Velazquez, maintain that the government targeted Ragbir because of his activism work on behalf of immigrants. He helps lead the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York, an organization that, in the description of the AP, “helps immigrants fight deportation.”
Velazquez recently made her opposition to Ragbir’s detention known through means other than inviting his wife to the State of the Union address, appearing at a rally outside the Manhattan building where he was first detained alongside Democratic U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Joe Crowley and Yvette Clarke.
Velazquez revealed in conjunction to her invitation of Gottlieb to the State of the Union that she will be visiting Ragbir on Monday at the jail where he is being held.
She also apparently wants a meeting with federal immigration authorities so that they can explain themselves.
Through all of the various credible accusations of unfair bias that have been lobbed at immigration authorities since Trump took office, they’ve maintained — when they have offered a response — that they haven’t been out of line.
The president has himself pushed for greater crackdowns on undocumented immigrants for essentially his entire political career. His hesitation to accept that undocumented immigrants brought here as children shouldn’t be deported and shipped off to some foreign country is what pushed the government towards its recent three day shutdown.
Besides Gottlieb, other members of Congress have also announced their plans to bring relevant guests to the State of the Union.
Some Democrats will be bringing people with prominent stakes in the so-called #MeToo movement, which seeks to bring down sexual harassers across various U.S. industries.
Trump, of course, remains credibly accused of sexual misconduct and is no ally of these people.
In addition to the poignant guests, some Democrats have announced their intent to skip the State of the Union altogether.
Featured Image via FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
