PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted 26 guests at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The guests represent key administration priorities.
One of those guests is an immigration reform activist from Coatesville.
Mitzi Colin Lopez came to the United States from Mexico 20 years ago, when she was 3 years old. She received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection in 2015, well in advance of the Trump Administration’s stoppage of the program for new applicants.
Lopez graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from West Chester University in 2021. She now works at a nonprofit that offers resources to Latino immigrants.
She often speaks out on the need of immigration reform.
“It's very hard to try to progress and better yourself when you have all of these obstacles,” she said.
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Although Lopez has certain protections under DACA, she says her dreams of the future could abruptly be threatened if federal lawmakers decide to end the existing program.
“If the DACA program ends, I wouldn't be able to maintain the job I have. I would have to resort to finding some other form of income,” she said. “I wouldn't be able to drive, because my driver’s license would be taken away.”
Currently, there is a coalition of nine Republican-led states asking a federal judge to declare the Obama-era program unlawful and shut it down completely.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who illegally arrived in this country as minors could face deportation without the program.
Other guests of the first lady include U2 lead singer and activist Bono; Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was attacked in their home in October; and RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols who died on Jan. 10, days after being beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.