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State of the Union: Which Coloradans will be there?

When it comes to guests of Colorado’s Congress members at tonight’s State of the Union address, the spread is wide, ranging from anti-gun violence activists and immigrants to family and friends.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat, plans to bring a Colorado State University student and DACA recipient named Elias, the congressman’s office said.

Elias, whose last name was not given, is studying chemical and biochemical engineering and biomedical engineering, and works part time. He came to the U.S. at a young age from Mexico and lives in Neguse’s 2nd Congressional District, his office said.

> RELATED: State of the Union to showcase Trump border-wall pitch (VIDEOS)

“The partisan differences surrounding our immigration system have been placed front and center in today’s political discussion,” said Neguse, the first Eritrean-American to serve in the U.S. House and the son of African refugees.

“In this moment, it is incredibly important for us to consider the individuals like Elias who have come to this country as children, or arrived seeking asylum from unimaginable violence in South America,” he said.

Neguse’s colleague and fellow Democrat, Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver, also gave her ticket to a local Dreamer, according to a spokesman. Her ticket went to Kennya Lilibeth Sanchez Chavez, a kindergarten teacher in DeGette’s 1st Congressional District who was born in Mexico and grew up in the district.

Freshman Rep. Jason Crow will bring a Sudanese refugee who lost her son to gun violence last year in Aurora, according to a retweet from Crow.

SOTU2EndGunViolence,” Crow tweeted, a hashtag used by other Democratic congressional representatives such as Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida and Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, all of whom are hosting anti-gun-violence activists at the speech.

Dean’s guest at tonight’s speech: Jami Amo, a survivor of the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Jefferson County.

“We are both hopeful that the president expresses support for common sense gun laws,” Dean tweeted.

Other Colorado guests are more traditional picks. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, will bring his wife and son, while Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet will bring his daughter.

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Windsor, will bring a friend from the National Association of Home Builders.

And Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada, gave his ticket to the office of Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida, who invited Hilary Shelton, director of NAACP’s Washington bureau, according to his spokesperson.

No word yet on who Sen. Cory Gardner and Rep. Scott Tipton might bring. We’ll add their invitees when we hear back.

U.S. Representative for Colorado's 5th congressional district Doug Lamborn makes his way to the El Paso County Republican watch party during election night at the Colorado Springs Country Club on Tuesday November 6, 2018 in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Dougal Brownlie, The Gazette) (Dougal Brownlie, The Gazette)
U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 5th congressional district Doug Lamborn makes his way to the El Paso County Republican watch party during election night at the Colorado Springs Country Club on Tuesday November 6, 2018 in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Dougal Brownlie, The Gazette) (Dougal Brownlie, The Gazette)


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