Hickenlooper Hosts Caroline Dias Goncalves as Guest for State of the Union

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced that Caroline Dias Goncalves, a 20-year-old Dreamer who was detained by ICE in Colorado last year, will join him as his guest at President Trump's State of the Union address tomorrow, February 24th.

"Dreamers like Caroline have grown up here since they were young kids, and are an essential part of our communities. They, and families all across the country, shouldn't have to live in fear of violence from ICE," said Hickenlooper. "ICE is out of control and needs a top-to-bottom overhaul. We won't let up until the lawlessness of ICE is reined in, so what happened to Caroline doesn't happen to anyone else."

"Immigrants like me-we're not asking for anything special. Just a fair chance to feel safe and to keep building the lives we've worked so hard for in the country we call home," said Dias Goncalves. "I hope no one else has to go through what I did, and I hope my story and presence can help inspire change for a better future."

Dias Goncalves is a 20-year-old student at the University of Utah. Last June, Dias Goncalves was pulled over during a traffic stop in Colorado, where she was arrested by ICE and detained in the Aurora ICE detention facility for 15 days. Dias Goncalves is a Dreamer and raised in the U.S. since she was seven years old. Hickenlooper, his office, and organizations like TheDream.US were involved in demanding answers from ICE about Dias Goncalves' arrest and ensuring that Dias Goncalves was released.

Hickenlooper has been outspoken in the face of ICE's lawlessness and demanded a top-to-bottom overhaul of the agency to stop ICE from terrorizing our communities. He has consistently pushed for more oversight andtransparency for federal immigration enforcement efforts, and has worked to help families desperately searching for loved ones arrested by ICE. Last month, Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor to denounce the horrifying killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, condemn the reports that families in Eagle County found "Death cards" left in the cars of family members taken by ICE agents, and to demand the overhaul of ICE. He's shown up at ICE facilities to conduct congressional oversight visits and raise concerns about ICE disregarding due process. He helped launch an investigation into ICE's unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight and introduced bills to ban ICE from wearing masks, prevent immigration enforcement from targeting schools, hospitals, polling locations, and places of worship, and cut back the excessive funding that MAGA Republicans gave them. Hickenlooper also voted against the DHS funding bill because it failed to overhaul ICE.

###