With Democrats planning to bring “Dreamers” as special guests to President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) is encouraging US Capitol Police to arrest any illegal immigrants present.
Gosar’s office tweeted that US authorities should check to see if anyone in attendance is undocumented. The move is seemingly in response to a decision by Democrats in Congress to invite some beneficiaries of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, under which those brought to the US illegally as children are offered protections.
Gosar's office was busy on Twitter, calling on officers to arrest “those using fraudulent social security numbers and identification to pass through security.”
“Of all the places where the Rule of Law needs to be enforced, it should be in the hallowed halls of Congress,” Gosar added in yet another tweet Tuesday.
READ MORE: What to expect from Trump’s first State of the Union Address
Following Gosar’s tweets, Democrats in Congress reacted.
“You try it,” Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said, challenging Gosar’s threats to have people arrested at the event. She further pointed out that guests accompanying some Democrats are still legally covered under DACA.
Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) also had some choice words for the Republican congressman.
Representative Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) blasted Gosar’s decision to notify authorities and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Trump recently unveiled a plan for immigration reform, offering 1.8 million immigrants a path to citizenship, including individuals eligible for and still protected by the Obama-era DACA program. However, in exchange for the changes to existing immigration policy, Trump is asking Congress for $25 billion for a southern border wall and improvements and enhancements at the northern border with Canada.