Nick Shirley, Colin Hortman among guests of Minnesota politicians at State of the Union

The members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation aren’t exactly being subtle about the messages they’re trying to convey with their choice of guests for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

Members of Congress typically pick State of the Union guests to bring attention to timely issues. Last year, some Democratic lawmakers brought recently fired federal workers to Trump’s joint address to Congress to buck mass layoffs. And Republican Rep. Pete Stauber brought the wife of the newly sworn in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a show of support.

But this year, which comes in the wake of a federal immigration crackdown that put Minnesota in the national spotlight for weeks, the 10-member congressional delegation is using the selection of guest to highlight where they stand on a series of hot-button issues: immigration, fraud, tariffs and political violence.

The address comes as public support seems to be dwindling for some of the administration’s key agenda items. The administration recently announced an end to Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota amid mounting concerns over aggressive tactics used by thousands of agents deployed to the state. The speech also comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Trump’s economic agenda, striking down his global tariffs.

Here’s who each member of the delegation is bringing to the address — and what they hope to highlight by doing so.

Minnesota’s DFL senior senator will bring Sean Syverson, owner of Swing Barrel Brewing in Moorhead who has been negatively affected by Trump’s tariffs.

“Small business owners in Minnesota like Sean have been hit hard by the tariffs imposed by this Administration,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “Breweries have struggled with rising aluminum costs due to tariffs on Canadian imports, making canning and distribution more difficult. Sean will be there to represent all the Americans who are being crushed by rising costs as the administration has decided to double down on tariffs.”

“I’ve been to Donald Trump’s State of the Union Addresses, and I don’t need to do it again,” Smith said in a statement. “His speeches are full of lies, and he uses the occasion to pillory his perceived political enemies and pander to his billionaire donors.”

Smith said she hopes Lewis’ appearance at the counter-rally will help “share the reality of this Administration’s lawlessness and violence.”

Emmer, the No. 3 Republican in the U.S. House, will bring Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany and Blaine Brothers Board Chair Dean Dally to highlight the Working Families Tax Cuts, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Not only are they stand-up guys, but Chief Podany, Mr. Dally, and their industries are experiencing the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts — no tax on overtime, less regulation, and pro-growth business policies,” Emmer said in a statement.

The two Democrats will bring Colin Hortman, the son of the late House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and his wife, Alina Bachman Hortman. Colin Hortman’s parents were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home last June.

“I am calling on our leaders — and all of us — to reject language that dehumanizes, to model disagreement without condemnation, and to remember that we are all human beings first,” Colin Hortman said in a statement.

“My parents believed public service was about showing up for people and working across differences. As a family, we always watched the State of the Union, regardless of the political party of the President.”

The northern Minnesota Republican congressman plans to keep the focus on the fraud crisis in the state by bringing conservative Youtuber Nick Shirley and David Hoch as his guests. Shirley and Hoch produced a viral video late last year that contained explosive allegations about child care assistance programs in Minnesota.

The video helped intensify Trump’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.

“It is an honor to bring them both to the State of the Union as a reminder to every American that the federal government under President Trump is committed to ending the abuse of programs meant to help working families and the most vulnerable,” Stauber said in a statement.

Omar will also bring Mubashir Hussen, a Somali American who was detained by ICE agents and sent to the Whipple Federal Building despite telling them he was a U.S. citizen.

Mary Granlund, the chair of the Columbia Heights school board who’s been active in resisting immigration enforcement, will be another Omar guest, as will Gerardo Orozco Guzman, the son of workers’ rights organizer Eustaquio Orozco Verdusco.

Craig, a Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate, will bring Rosemount resident Angel Silva. Silva is the son of a Minnesotan who self-deported after she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in December at her immigration hearing.

“I’m honored to have Angel by my side in Washington this week representing his mother and all those who were caught in the crossfire of Operation Metro Surge,” Craig said in a statement. “His resilience and willingness to share his family’s story is an inspiration and reminder that our immigrant neighbors strengthen the fabric of our state. President Trump and [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] will never be able to take that away.”

The First District Republican is bringing Rochester Chief of Police Jim Franklin as his guest.

Fishbach did not respond to requests for comment about her attendance or has put any public statements her guest.