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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today announced that she has invited Cindy Garcia of Lincoln Park, MI to be her guest at the 2018 State of the Union in Washington, DC. Ms. Garcia is a UAW worker and the wife of Jorge Garcia, a 39-year-old father of two who was deported to Mexico this week after living in the United States for 30 years.

“This week, America watched in horror as Jorge Garcia, a father of two and husband to an American citizen, who was brought to this country at 10 years old and has never received so much as a traffic ticket, was torn from his family and the only home he knows,” said Dingell. “The Garcia family’s story is heartbreaking and infuriating. It is both a symptom of a long-broken immigration system and a new rash immigration policy that does not recognize the difference between a hardworking family man and a criminal. This must change.

“Jorge’s wife Cindy has shown incredible resilience and courage in the face of these impossible circumstances. I am honored that she will join me at the State of the Union to be a voice for the hundreds of thousands of aspiring Americans who are part of the fabric of our communities, and who deserve a pathway to legal status in the country they call home.

“Now more than ever, we must not lose sight of who we are and the promise of America. It is time for Congress and the President to find the political will to do what is right, not what is convenient, and fulfill this nation’s promise to those who come here seeking a better life and those who call this nation home.”

Congresswoman Dingell spoke directly to ICE officials at the Detroit Field Office to obtain an extension for Mr. Garcia, which allowed him to stay in the country through the holidays until January 15. The Congresswoman continues to work with the Garcia family to reunite them as quickly as possible.