Rep. Mike Levin brings deported couple’s daughter as guest to 2026 State of the Union
A local immigration case becomes a prominent guest invitation
Rep. Mike Levin, who represents California’s 49th Congressional District, selected Stephanie Quintino as his guest for President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address. Quintino is the daughter of Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, a Southern California couple who were deported to Colombia after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a routine check-in.
The State of the Union was scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in the U.S. House chamber at the Capitol, a nationally televised event where lawmakers frequently invite guests to highlight policy disputes and personal consequences tied to federal decisions.
Family background and timeline of the deportation
The Gonzalezes had lived in Southern California for decades, including in Laguna Niguel, and their case drew attention because of their long residence and community ties. Their detention began in late February 2025 during a standard immigration appointment, after which they were held in immigration detention before being removed from the United States.
Public accounts of the case describe a sequence in which the couple were detained at a check-in, transferred through detention facilities, and ultimately deported together to Colombia in March 2025. Family members said the removal left their adult children in the United States while the parents restarted their lives abroad.
What Levin said the invitation is intended to highlight
Levin framed the invitation as an effort to spotlight family separation and the practical consequences of immigration enforcement on long-established households. Quintino has also described the case as representative of families impacted by detention and removal following routine interactions with immigration authorities.
Guest invitations are a long-running feature of the State of the Union, used by both parties to illustrate arguments on subjects such as immigration, public safety, health care and the economy. In recent years, immigration has remained a recurring theme in these symbolic choices by lawmakers.
Immigration policy debate and the Dignity Act context
The invitation comes amid renewed congressional debate over immigration enforcement and broader system changes. Levin is among the lawmakers supporting the Dignity Act of 2025, a bipartisan proposal reintroduced in July 2025. The bill outlines a framework intended to address legal status for certain undocumented immigrants alongside changes involving border security, asylum processing and visa programs.
While the State of the Union is primarily a presidential address, the guests seated in the House chamber often serve as parallel messaging from members of Congress, underscoring policy priorities and disputed outcomes that are likely to remain central throughout the 2026 legislative year.
- Event: 2026 State of the Union (Feb. 24, 2026)
- Host lawmaker: Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49)
- Guest: Stephanie Quintino
- Case focus: Deportation of Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez after detention at a routine immigration check-in
State of the Union guest invitations are widely used by lawmakers as a public, formal way to illustrate how federal policy choices affect specific people and communities.