MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Pressley Spending State of the Union Uplifting Children Detained and Traumatized by ICE as Honorary Guests

Pressley Has Led Efforts in Congress to Address Childhood Trauma, Championed Policies to Support Child Health, Education, Safety

Pressley Has Stood in Vigorous Defense of Immigrant Communities in MA 7^th and Nationwide, Fighting to Bring Detained Neighbors Home

Video of Floor Speech (YouTube) | Photos of Office Installation (Dropbox)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered a powerful floor speech dedicated to children detained and traumatized by ICE and Trump’s terrorizing of immigrant communities. In her speech, Rep. Pressley addressed her “honorary guests”—including Daphne and siblings Ailany, Liam, and Ashley from the Massachusetts 7^th as well as Juan Nicolas and Susej, children harmed by the inhumane for-profit Dilley Detention Center—affirming their right to a childhood filled with love and family and condemning the traumatic harm Trump has enacted upon them.

Rep. Pressley has held an all-day installation outside of her office to uplift these children’s stories, art, and voices and shed light on the terrors they are facing. Photos of the office installation are available here.

Rep. Pressley will continue to highlight the stories of these impacted children throughout the day in several ways:

• All Day: An office installation outside her D.C. office depicting the harmful impact of ICE on children
• 6:15PM ET: A Substack Live conversation with April Ryan
• 7:00PM ET: Roland Martin’s State of Our Union via live YouTube show
• 7:40PM ET: State of the People’s State of Our People via live YouTube show
• 9:45PM ET: MoveOn’s People’s State of the Union at the National Mall and via livestream

For more information on Rep. Pressley’s engagements, press can email Pressley.press@mail.house.gov.

A transcript of Congresswoman Pressley’s remarks is available below, and the video is available here.

Transcript: In Boycott of SOTU, Pressley Dedicated Floor Speech to Children Traumatized by ICE, Constructed Office Installation Depicting Stories
Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives
February 24, 2026

Madam Speaker, the State of our Union is traumatizing our children.

And so today, I refuse to give an audience to a man who breaks promises and steals childhoods. But instead, I rise to address the children directly.

I rise today for two-month-old Juan Nicholas, Juan Nicholas, you came into this world mere weeks ago, and already America has broken her promise to you.

At barely two months old, you should know only the comfort of a soft blanket and your mother’s voice, your cries should be met with warm milk and lullabies.

But your small body has been detained by the state.

You and your mother were imprisoned at Dilley Detention Center, a for-profit prison. Your mother told us you were in pain. I can only imagine the pain she felt too, your small body vomited up the formula you drank, the water there is dirty.

The stress and trauma of being shackled and locked up in the precious days of postpartum made nursing impossible.

You were finally seen by a doctor, returned to the baby prison that is Dilly, and then mere hours later, your entire family, your parents, and your one-year-old sister, Mia, were forcefully deported and left along the side of the road in Mexico.

You, my sweet boy, are precious and deserving of love and safety. No child should endure what you’re going through.

Journalists, pediatricians and people of good conscience have rallied around your family to keep you safe.

I rise today for two-year-old Daphne from Massachusetts.

Daphne, your dad, Fidel, loves you more than anything. Your father has no criminal record. He has done nothing wrong. I know it is hard to understand why your father suddenly disappeared.

ICE says Fidel was picked up as a “collateral” during an ICE operation in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Fathers are not collateral. They are someone’s whole world.

Daphne, your dad missed you every day that you were apart. You’re together again, but you never should have been separated. We will do everything we can to keep him home with you where he belongs.

I rise today for nine-year-old, Susej.

Susej, the world has heard your pleas from behind the walls of the Dilley Detention Center. You have been in prison for over 60 days, and I want you to know that so many people are pressing for your freedom.

You deserve a joyful life free from fear, a childhood filled with love, but this White House and everyone complicit in their wholesale child abuse and neglect has ignored your cries.

Your story, your brilliance, and your voice belong everywhere. So let me read directly from a letter that you wrote.

You pleaded, “I miss my school and my friends. I feel bad since when I came here to this place, because I have been here too long. I have been 2 years and 6 months in United States, and I was happy with my friends in the school – but now I need to leave.…See[ing] how people like me, immigrants are being treated changes my perspective about the U.S. My mom and I came to the U.S looking for a good and safe place to live, and my mom was looking for a good job.”

Susej, you believed in the promise of America. I will not stop fighting until you are free.

I rise today for siblings from Chelsea from my district, Liam, Ailany and Ashley—Ailany and Ashley.

Ailany, you were only two weeks old when your father was taken by ICE. In the precious days he spent with you, he cared for you with so much love and devotion. I’m heartbroken that as the days drag on, you are missing out on his voice soothing you, his arms cradling you back to sleep.

There is no doubt that he loves you deeply, and his absence has nothing to do with you. Instead, it is the work of a cruel and callous government that is causing your family lasting harm and heartbreak.

Liam, I know at three years old, you feel the ache of absence and constantly ask for daddy. And your big sister, Ashley, has lost her advocate. Your dad worked hard to get her the support she needed to navigate school and her autism diagnosis daily.

Your mom is a determined woman and working hard to keep you all safe, but the weight of this is something no one should have to endure.

Ailany, Liam and Ashley, we will do everything we can to bring your daddy back home. He is a good man who has done nothing wrong, and the courts agreed. And while he has been brought back to the United States, he remains in ICE custody, denied precious time with his family. His future hanging in the balance. We will not stop fighting until your family is reunited.

Juan Nicholas, Susej, Ailany, Liam, Ashley, and Daphne. Today, I recognize you as my honorary guests to the State of the Union, not because the man who imprisoned you or denied you your parents care deserves an audience, but because you belong everywhere.

You deserve to live and thrive and to take up space. The halls of Congress don’t belong to a dictator, they belong to you.

Childhood should…be a birthright, but today in America, it’s a privilege afforded to the few and not the many.

I will fight for you like you are my own because you deserve that.

I yield.

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In her boycott of the State of the Union, Rep. Pressley is hosting as her honorary guests and uplifting the stories of children traumatized and detained by ICE, including:

Juan Nicolás,a two-month-old who had fallen ill and was denied medical care while imprisoned at Dilley for weeks before he, his parents, and his 16-month-old sister were forcefully and suddenly deported.

Daphne, a two-year-old in Massachusetts whose father was picked up as a “collateral” during an ICE operation in Chelsea and unjustly disappeared from her life from weeks.

Susej, a nine-year-old who has been detained at Dilly for over 60 days and whose pleas for help have travelled the country in her letters, in which she speaks of wanting to return to Venezuela because the United States has only shown her pain.

Liam, Ailany, and Ashley, three-year-old, six-month-old, and fourteen-year-old siblings from Chelsea, Massachusetts who were unjustly separated from their father, leaving their mother to navigate post-partum alone and struggle to provide for her family and care for her children without her husband.

As a leading voice and legislator, Rep. Pressley’s advocacy to protect children from abuse and trauma dates back to her days as a Boston City Councilor. In her first term in Congress, she partnered with the late Chairman Elijah Cummings to hold the first Congressional hearing on childhood trauma on the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Rep. Pressley leads the STRONG Support for Children Act, which would support communities in addressing childhood trauma through healing-centered, neighborhood-based, gender-responsive, culturally specific, and trauma-informed approaches that acknowledge the impact of systemic racism and inequities over generations. She has called for such trauma-informed and child-centered approaches to every issue, including: surging baby formula to Gaza, addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, addressing sexual harassment targeting children and women girls, committing to end gun violence, and more.

In recent weeks, Rep. Pressley has shone light on the inhumane attacks by ICE on immigrant communities and pushed back against the reckless agency. During Oversight Democrats’ bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley highlighted the urgency of the moment by uplifting stories of traumatized community members she met with during her trip to Minnesota with Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and invoking the horrifying detention case of five-year-old Liam Ramos. In the Massachusetts 7^th, Rep. Pressley has recognized and supported the many families torn apart and children suffering from the detention of a loved one—including harrowing attacks on Massachusetts families in their daily lives, abductions of dedicated workers at the Allston car wash, visiting Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk during her unlawful detention and pushing to bring her home, and more.

At last year’s State of the Union Address, Rep. Pressley was joined by Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and wheelchair user who was terminated during Trump’s mass federal layoffs from her service providing fair housing with HUD. In 2024, Rep. Pressley was joined by Priscilla Valentine, Boston teacher, first-generation American, and student debt relief recipient. In 2023, Rep. Pressley was joined by Jaqueline Sanches, a Mattapan resident, early educator, and mother of two. In 2021, Rep. Pressley was joined virtually by Christina Morris, a Hyde Park resident, union carpenter, and mother of four. In 2019, Rep. Pressley was joined by Estefany Pineda, a DACA recipient, as her guest to the State of the Union Address. In 2020, she invited Nneka Hall, a professional doula and healthcare justice advocate, as her guest to the State of the Union. In 2020 in the midst of the impeachment trial, the Congresswoman personally boycotted the speech and delivered the official response to the 2020 State of the Union Address on behalf of the Working Families Party.

As immigrant communities have been under siege by the Trump administration, Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in pushing back and defending our immigrant neighbors.

This week, Rep. Pressley convened immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners, community advocates, and municipal leaders to hear of the essential role that immigrant-owned small businesses play in Massachusetts’ economy and communities and how they are suffering under Trump’s attacks.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey held a field hearing with members of the Haitian community on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. Testimony was documented in the Congressional Record.

Rep. Pressley also leads a discharge petition that could compel the House vote on a bill to require the Trump Administration to extend TPS for Haiti for three years. 

In February 2026, during Oversight Democrats’ bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley demanded Congress end qualified immunity to ensure federal law enforcement officers are held accountable for breaking the law and murdering civilians. Rep. Pressley called on her colleagues not to settle for bare minimum reforms in funding negotiations for the Department of Homeland Security, instead urging them to fight to rebalance power and restore accountability.

In January 2026, at the invitation of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Pressley went to Minneapolis to meet with organizers and community members impacted by ICE’s violent operation in Minnesota, where they have murdered bystanders, terrorized schools and small businesses, and abducted children and parents.

Following the ICE murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026, which builds on the lawmakers’ prior work by granting victims the right to sue federal law enforcement officers—not just state and local—for civil rights violations and abolishing the defense of qualified immunity in these suits. The expanded legislation would help deliver accountability for families abused by law enforcement, including ICE agents.

Congresswoman Pressley delivered a floor speech on the need to end qualified immunity for federal law enforcement, including immigration officers. Watch the floor speech here.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley condemned the ICE murder of Renee Good in Minnesota and motioned to subpoena all records and footage related to the shooting, but Republicans obstructed it. Footage of Congresswoman Pressley’s motion to subpoena is here.

In December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened and welcomed home the workers and families impacted by the cruel and unlawful ICE raid at an Allston car wash in November. Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor condemning the Allston ICE raid and defended the vibrant immigrant communities who are being maliciously stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, and unlawfully detained and deported by the Trump Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In June 2025, Congresswoman Pressley convened immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and impacted families to tell Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Hands off our immigrant neighbors. 

Rep. Pressley has also been an outspoken critic against the unlawful detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts PhD student, Somerville resident, and constituent of the Congresswoman’s who was unlawfully detained for weeks in retaliation for her protected speech. After weeks of advocacy and Congressional oversight, including a visit to detention centers in Louisiana, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey welcomed Ms. Öztürk to Massachusetts following her arrival from ICE detention in Louisiana.

Rep. Pressley has also spoken out against reports of ICE activity in the MA 7th and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement on not attending this year’s State of the Union address:

“Tonight, I will not attend the State of the Union.  

I will not legitimize a presidency rooted in racism and lawlessness, nor will I applaud economic sabotage.

To the people of Ohio’s Third District and to Americans across this country: you deserve truth. You deserve accountability. You deserve leadership that protects your rights and your ability to prosper.

Families are already stretched thin: tariffs are squeezing them and small businesses, health care rollbacks threaten coverage for tens of thousands in my district and 15 million nationwide, all while billionaires receive tax breaks.

Additionally, democracy and the rule of law are under attack. President Trump continues to try to federalize elections, creating new barriers to voting rights for married women, seniors, servicemembers, and millions of other eligible voters.

I will not normalize defiance of the Constitution. When an administration operates in lies and lawlessness, denounces Supreme Court rulings, and undermines checks and balances, it threatens our democracy at its foundation.

Finally, the State of the Union is not strong, despite the lies you will hear tonight. I will not sit for applause lines that do not match reality, when families cannot afford groceries, health care is stripped away, and fear becomes public policy.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today announced that Dr. Lowry Barnes, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), will be his guest at the State of the Union address.

“I am honored to host Dr. Lowry Barnes, the recently appointed Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, as my guest at the State of the Union. A physician, educator, and innovator, Dr. Barnes has dedicated his career to serving Arkansas patients, strengthening UAMS’ mission, and expanding access to world-class care. From founding the Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital to leading our state’s flagship academic medical center, Dr. Barnes understands firsthand how vital UAMS is to training physicians, driving medical research, and ensuring families around our state, especially in rural communities, have access to high-quality care close to home.

“In Congress, I have worked to support rural health care initiatives, expand telehealth access, and invest in medical research and physician training programs that directly benefit institutions like UAMS and the patients they serve. I look forward to working with President Trump and my Congressional colleagues to continue delivering for Arkansas patients, grow our health care workforce, and ensure leaders like Dr. Barnes and institutions like UAMS have the support they need to provide exceptional care across our state.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-14) will attend the 2026 State of the Union Address with his invited guest, Teresa J. Helm. Helm a survivor, advocate, and national leader in the fight against sexual exploitation and trafficking.

“Like every American, I want the President to do his job,” said Rep. Swalwell. “I have always attended the State of the Union, and I will again tonight. But Donald Trump promised to lower costs, make us safer, and bring transparency to government—he’s done the opposite on all. I invited Teresa Helm as my guest because she has been waiting for justice for more than two decades. Teresa’s bravery exposed the Epstein coverup. The President owes her—and all survivors—answers.” 

“At the heart of this matter is HUMAN DIGNITY and JUSTICE FOR ALL,” said Helm. “It is crucial to join forces, lead by example, and continue lighting the way for generations to come. To me, it is both an assignment and an honor to be a guest here today at the 2026 State of the Union Address.”

Teresa J. Helm serves as Survivor Services Coordinator at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE). In her role, she walks alongside survivors interested in bringing civil lawsuits against corporations and individuals who profited from and facilitated their exploitation. As a lived-experience expert who has fought to bring justice against those who sexually assaulted and trafficked her through Jeffrey Epstein’s network, Helm is a mentor and advocate in the movement for accountability and survivor empowerment.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement after the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act – a bipartisan bill aimed at improving aviation safety standards – failed on a vote before the U.S. House.

 

“I’m disappointed the ROTOR Act failed today,” said Davids. “This bill was an important first step in meaningful reforms for both the flying public and the victims and families of last year’s tragic collision of Flight 5342 and a military helicopter. I’m committed to continuing to push for the reforms included in this bill and other much-needed aviation safety improvements through my role on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We must take action to ensure that this kind of tragedy never happens again and to honor the memory of the lives lost because the victims and families deserve nothing less.”

 

Last week, Davids introduced the ALERT Act, a bipartisan bill that includes and builds on the ROTOR Act’s reforms to strengthen aviation safety and protect flyers, aligning closely with National Transportation Safety Board recommendations from their investigation of the deadly collision. The ALERT Act, split between civilian air travel and military aircraft safety, addresses concerns about airspace congestion, communication failures, outdated collision-avoidance systems, and coordination between civilian and military aircraft. 

 

On January 29, 2025, Flight 5342 departed Wichita, Kansas (ICT) bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). As the flight approached its destination, it collided midair with a military training helicopter, tragically killing the two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers on the airplane, along with all three crew members aboard the helicopter.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

Sherman to reintroduce the “No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act”, bipartisan legislation he first introduced with then-Senator Marco Rubio in 2018

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) will bring a Colorado small business owner who has been harmed by President Donald Trump’s tariff and immigration policies to Tuesday’s State of the Union Address.

Jay Park operates two small business restaurants in Aurora and Parker. Over the past year, he has seen the price of his imported goods skyrocket, had to pay more for goods for his restaurants, and heard from Coloradans about not being able to dine out because they can’t afford it. Mr. Park’s staff who have been legally employed have been unfairly targeted by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and President Trump’s mass deportations. In 2025, Mr. Park had to close a third restaurant he owned and operated due to higher costs and pressures.

“Small business owners like Jay create jobs and help support Colorado’s economy. But President Trump’s tariffs have raised prices and squeezed small businesses,” said Congressman Crow. “As someone who came to this country in search of a better life, and now owns and operates small businesses, Jay shows us how immigrants make our nation stronger. This President’s mass deportations of non-violent people and inflammatory rhetoric not only demonize immigrants like Jay, but also harm our state’s economy. I won’t stand for it. I’m proud to have Jay with me for the President’s State of the Union address as I continue to fight and stand up for Colorado.”

“I’m excited to be here at the State of the Union with Congressman Crow to tell my story. My small businesses have continued to face rising prices because of tariffs, making it harder to pay bills and make ends meet. Our country’s immigration policies have also unfairly targeted my employees who are in the U.S. legally. I appreciate Congressman Crow for helping to share my story and stand up for Colorado,” said Jay Park.

Congressman Crow has fought for small business across Colorado, and against the President’s reckless tariffs. He has fought for action to lower costs on housing, groceries, and health care for working people. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s tariffs were illegal. In response, Congressman Crow said that “working people are paying the price of Trump’s chaos.”

Crow has also spoken out against the recent murder of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by U.S. federal agents conducting immigration enforcement. In Congress, Crow is working to rein in the abuses of power by ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Crow successfully sued the Trump administration to ensure proper oversight of federal facilities, including a federal immigration detention facility in Aurora.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security — questioned National Fusion Center Association President Mike Sena at a committee hearing about security coordination ahead of the FIFA World Cup and America 250. McCaul is also chairman of the committee’s Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States.

Click to watch

Full Exchange:

McCaul: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Let me start out by saying I remember back when I chaired this committee, [we witnessed] the Boston Marathon bombing … And it was avoidable. It was preventable, had federal, state, and local [authorities] been sharing information. The FBI had information about Mr. Tamerlan’s trip to Dagestan where he radicalized and came back. They did not share that adequately with the joint terrorism task force. Specifically, the commissioner of Boston did not have any of that information even though he had two agents or two officers on the task force. We changed that by law, but it’s all about connecting the dots. Mr. Sena, you’re in charge of the fusion center, which sometimes comes under criticism. We formed the fusion centers… You know everybody talks about connecting the dots after 9/11, and that’s exactly what you are doing. What do you see as one of the biggest threats as you look at the environment out there and threat matrix, what keeps you up at night the most? 

Sena: It’s a combination of things. The first thing in the back of my head right now is the financial piece because we do need the resources to get things going … It’s a threat because if we don’t have the right people in place to do the job, it won’t get done. The other thing is the multimodal communication systems that we’ve got right now. The lack of getting that tip and lead — that piece of information. We do a lot of work educating our law-enforcement, public safety, private sector partners on what we need as far as tips and leads — those suspicious activity reports. But we have a lot of different places those go right now — multiple federal systems, multiple private sector parties that take tips and leads. The problem is when you have so many silos, how do you connect them all? And then it comes to game day, and those operations ahead of time. How do you bring people together? For example, during the Super Bowl, we had seven different systems up, and so that worries me tremendously merging those technologies.

McCaul: Well the Super Bowl is a test, right?

Sena: It’s a test for us because FIFA is coming to town, so that was a test. And I can tell you that came up in the after action when people were talking: How do I watch seven systems that I’m having to put data into seven different platforms? My own people especially. But how do we merge those? And the technology is there. It’s policy and practice and training. 

McCaul: Well, if the technology is there, is it policy and practice prohibiting that? 

Sena: It is; everyone has their own silo.

McCaul: Okay, that’s a real problem because it’s going to be March, and they start in June, and you’ve got over 100 games in three countries. You know Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Let me ask you quickly. We were down in Mexico and got a joint training program with our military, both the United States and Mexico, passed by their parliament. We saw the recent events in Mexico. They have drones. The violent uptick after the Jalisco cartel member was taken out. I know this is not in your purview, but you have to learn from those mistakes. How concerned are you about the games in Mexico?

Sena: The big concern I’ve got, especially with drone activity, is that for example I had a person that was planning on flying a drone right into the Super Bowl. And so part of that is that we can have counter measures there, but there are so many other locations that we don’t have people trained in the equipment in place for counter measures that they can go anywhere a crowd is at and immediately hit those targets and cause mass destruction, and we don’t have the capability across-the-board to fight every drone threat.

McCaul: That’s a great segue to my next point and that is under the Safer Skies Act the chairman introduced and my task force recommended, we got that passed in the National Defense Authorization [Act] that gives the ability to share with state and locals the counter drone authorities, which is critically important. I’m surprised we had any opposition to that.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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