Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)
Stephanie Quintino’s Story Exemplifies the Horrors of Trump’s Mass Deportation Scheme & Effects of Nation’s Broken Immigration System
Stephanie Quintino and her parents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez
Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) announced that he will bring Stephanie Quintino, the daughter of a deported immigrant couple, as his guest to the 2026 State of the Union address. Stephanie’s parents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, were deported in February 2025 to Colombia after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a routine check-in. The couple lived in Southern California, including Laguna Niguel, for 35 years, had no criminal record, and always paid their taxes. Stephanie is the face of our nation’s broken immigration system and the cruelty of Trump’s mass deportation scheme.
“I’ve watched President Trump use every podium, every platform, and every moment of national attention to mislead the American people,” said Rep. Levin. “I’m planning to attend the State of the Union because I’m not going to let Trump ignore the cruel reality of his mass deportation machine. Millions of families are being separated and lives are being ruined. The Gonzalezes’ case reflects the enormous human cost of this Administration’s deportation policies. My guest, Stephanie Quintino, will put a face to that cost and to the stories of families being torn apart.”
“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. When they show up to their routine ICE check-in, they are being detained for weeks to months on end in multiple facilities to then be deported. It’s unjust and inhumane,” said Stephanie Quintino. “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. I will show the country why we need to pass immigration reform, like the Dignity Act, to protect families and provide a pathway to legal status.”
Nearly 40% of people arrested by ICE in Trump’s first year of his second term had no criminal record. In July 2025, Rep. Levin helped reintroduce the bipartisan Dignity Act, a comprehensive immigration reform bill that addresses legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform.
“The Gonzalezes’s story lays out one of the biggest problems of our broken immigration system: there is no pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants who have no criminal records, pay their taxes, are integrated into their communities, and are following the law,” continued Rep. Levin. “The Dignity Act would reform our broken immigration system by providing a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants and strengthen border security. It would protect people like Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez who are part of the fabric of America and prevent families from being torn apart. It’s long past time for Congress to act on immigration reform and pass the Dignity Act.”
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