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Congresswoman Chu Invites Iranian Student Impacted By Travel Ban To Trump's Address To Congress

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — California Rep. Judy Chu has invited a special guest to join her when President Trump addresses both houses of Congress next Tuesday evening.

And to say she's hoping her guest makes a literal statement would be an understatement.

Chu has invited an Iranian student impacted by the president's travel ban.

Sara Yarjani, a 35-year old Iranian graduate student, is currently studying at the California Institute for Human Science in Encinitas.

Chu''s office said Yarjani is a permanent resident of Austria who resides in the U.S. on a student visa.

On Jan. 27, just hours after President Trump signed his Executive Order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, She was  held at LAX  for 23 hours before being sent back to Vienna, where she had been visiting family. After a judge halted implementation of the travel ban, Yarjani was able to return to the U.S. where she was reunited with her loved ones eight days after having been deported.

Chu released the following statement:

"Donald Trump's Muslim ban is an un-American policy rooted in the bigoted belief that simply being from a Muslim-majority country makes one a security threat. Sara is an example of the very different reality that Trump and his supporters are trying to ignore in favor of encouraging prejudice and fear. Like so many others, Sara has come to the U.S. to learn and grow and contribute to society. Her desire to seek an education here contributes to our strength. Yet she was treated as a danger, held for 23 hours, and then sent back to another country, despite having a legal right to be here. That is not who we are. Turning away students like her for no reason other than their nationality is unacceptable, and that is why I am proud to have her as my guest at the Joint Session of Congress. Mr. Trump needs to see the people he has hurt. And it is our obligation to take every opportunity we can to ensure that our country - an example of freedom and opportunity to the world - never again targets individuals because of their religion, nationality, or race."

California Democrats are showing increasing ire with the Trump administration.

This past Tuesday, for example, on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes," Rep. Maxine Waters, who is already calling for Trump's impeachment, said his administration and his associates were "a bunch of scumbags."

Earlier this month, Rep. Ted Lieu said he would file a bill requiring there be a psychiatrist in the White House.

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