A ‘dreamer’ and immigration reform advocate from West Chester will be Jill Biden’s guest at the State of the Union

First Lady Jill Biden's guests at the State of the Union will include West Chester's Mitzi Colin Lopez, a so-called "dreamer" from Mexico and now an immigration reform advocate.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden react upon arrival at Cornwall Airport Newquay, on June 9, 2021, near Newquay, Cornwall, England.Read morePhil Noble - WPA Pool / MCT

by Jonathan Tamari

Published Feb. 7, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON — First lady Jill Biden has invited an immigration advocate from Coatesville — who herself has gone from undocumented child to top college graduate — to be among her guests at the State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The guest, Mitzi Colin Lopez, arrived in the United States at 3 years old when her parents came from Mexico, making her one of a cohort of so-called “dreamers” who came to the country without legal status as small children but have only known the U.S. as home, according to the White House.

Colin Lopez since 2015 has received protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (commonly called DACA) instituted by former President Barack Obama, and has since graduated summa cum laude with a political science degree from West Chester University, the White House said.

She is now an advocate for immigration reform and in 2021 met President Joe Biden to describe her experiences through DACA.

Colin Lopez will be one of several guests invited to sit in the first lady’s viewing box, a position used to highlight individuals and stories that mirror the priorities and achievements presidents outline in their State of the Union speeches.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Mitzi Colin Lopez’s hometown.