Politics & Government
Fairfax Grad Supports Immigration Reform at State of the Union
Warner brought undocumented 19-year-old to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address to emphasize the need for new policies.
A 19-year-old Fairfax High School graduate was a guest of honor Tuesday night at President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union speech.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) invited Ambar Pinto to the president's address Tuesday night as part of an effort to bring attention to immigration reform.
Warner, a supporter of the Virginia DREAM Act, talked about giving talented individuals, no matter their immigration status, a chance at obtaining United States citizenship in a video clip sent to supporters ahead of the speech.
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The DREAM Act, a bill that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition, died in the Virginia House of Respresentatives earlier this month.
“We need to fix our broken immigration system. We've got to make sure that people like Ambar have the ability to earn a path to citizenship," Warner said. "Ambar has such a bright future in front of her, but only if she gets the education. When she gets that education, she'll be able to contribute not just to Virginia, but to the whole United States.”
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Pinto, a Fairfax resident, graduated from Fairfax High School in 2011. She's currently enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College as an out-of-state student, as she is undocumented.
Her family moved to the United States when she was only 12 years old.
“I think [immigration reform] is very important not only because it's going to help me but it's going to help our entire country," she said. "We are under the shadows and we can't do so much under the shadows. I think it's very important for all of us to give our talents to this country, to our country."
Several other legislators brought special guests to the State of the Union address as an emphasis on immigration reform, including First Lady Michelle Obama.
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