While the majority of San Diego County's Democratic congressional delegation sat out Tuesday's State of the Union address by President Donald Trump, one representative brought the daughter of a deported immigrant couple to highlight immigration issues.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-49) said he understands why some colleagues boycotted the speech and supports their decision. Levin brought Stephanie Quintino, the daughter of a deported immigrant couple, as his guest to the State of the Union.
According to Levin's office, Quintino's parents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, were deported to Colombia a year ago after being detained by ICE during a routine check-in. They had lived in Southern California for 35 years and reportedly had no criminal record.
"What happened to my parents is happening to millions of undocumented immigrants across the country. They are working hard, paying their taxes, have no criminal records, and are contributing positively to their communities," Stephanie Quintino said. "I'm going to the State of the Union to put a face to the horrors of President Trump's mass deportation operations. ICE is ripping families, like mine, apart, and causing incredible trauma."
The remaining Democratic members of the San Diego congressional delegation — Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-51), Scott Peters (D-50) and Juan Vargas (D-52) — did not attend the address.
"President Trump's policies have caused so much harm to San Diego's cross-border and immigrant community, so I won't be attending tonight's State of the Union and normalizing his abuses of power, corruption, and disastrous economic policies," Jacobs said in a statement to City News Service.
"Instead, I will join people who are bearing the consequences of his decisions: from those who've been kicked off Medicaid to (convicted sex offender Jeffrey) Epstein survivors to those who've been traumatized by ICE and Border Patrol to paint a realistic picture of the actual state of our union."
District 50 Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, posted on X that while he would not attend, he is not formally calling for a boycott.