More than 35 DREAMers attend President Trump's 1st State of the Union address

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- More than 35 DREAMers who were invited by members of Congress attended President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address Tuesday.

As the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals expiration date looms for hundreds of thousands of recipients, House and Senate members continued to fight for them.

"What I want Donald Trump to see tonight is the faces of these DREAMers," Rep. Judy Chu (D - Pasadena) said during a press conference in Washington, D.C.

The Center for American Progress said more than 17,000 DACA recipients have lost their status since Sept. 5. While several proposals have been drafted, there is still no vote scheduled to address the program.

There is also disagreement on whether funding for the border wall, lottery visas and family sponsorship should be on the table.

One DREAMer, UCLA graduate Denea Joseph, was invited by Sen. Kamala Harris. Joseph spoke about how she came to the states.

"I immigrated to the United States from Belize, Central America, at the age of 7 years old, without my mother, father, or siblings," she said. "As the eldest child, my parents sent me to live with my maternal grandmother, who provided me with the tools to access opportunities that weren't readily available in Belize."

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D - Los Angeles) said he and other members of Congress will continue to find ways to support the DREAMers. During an interview with Eyewitness News, Gomez was joined by Itayo Torres, a 19-year-old college student and DACA recipient from the Westlake area.

"I hope President Donald Trump has the heart to listen to not only my story, but many other DREAMers," Torres said.