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Schneider Invites Ivan Hernandez, DACA Recipient and Waukegan Community Leader, as Guest to State of the Union

February 4, 2019

Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) today announced that Ivan Hernandez, 26, of Waukegan, will be his guest at President Trump's State of the Union address, scheduled for Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Hernandez came to the United States from Mexico at age 12 and is a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Through DACA, he was able to acquire a work permit and is now employed at a bank in Waukegan. He is a graduate of College of Lake County and Columbia College where he majored in Business Administration, and he worked full-time as he studied for his degree.

Hernandez is deeply involved in his community. He serves as a board member of HACES (Hispanic American Community Education and Services), which works with immigrant families in Lake County to provide education, legal services, and health care resources. He is also a member of the CoaliciĆ³n Latinos Unidos de Lake County (CLULC), which offers scholarship opportunities for local high school and college students.

"I am excited and honored to host Ivan in Washington as my guest for the State of the Union because his story represents the story of the hundreds of thousands of DREAMers across our country," said Schneider. "Ivan is an outstanding leader in our community, and the United States is unquestionably his home. His dreams and aspirations are American dreams, and his success strengthens our state and nation. While Congress and the President debate the best way to secure our border, we also need to come together for comprehensive immigration reform that grants permanent status and a path to citizenship to DREAMers like Ivan."

In August of 2018, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) estimated approximately 700,000 individuals have applied and received DACA protection.