Members of Congress in New York and New Jersey are using their plus-ones to the State of the Union speech to push issues that are important to them, from immigration reform to women's rights to the opioid epidemic.

At least nine elected officials in the region have confirmed that they'll be bringing beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, more commonly referred to as Dreamers, to hear President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday night (WNYC will be airing the speech live beginning at 9 p.m. It will be preceded by a one-hour preview hosted by Brian Lehrer.)

Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, is among them. He has invited Esder Chong, a 19-year-old Rutgers student and a Dreamer, to fill his guest seat. "Esder's an incredibly successful student," the congressman told WNYC. "She came here when she was six. She doesn't have any remembrance of South Korea. She's an American."

Three representatives will pay homage to the #MeToo movement by either wearing black or attending with an advocate, while Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, will bring the mother of a U.S. soldier who overdosed on heroin.

Two representatives are boycotting the speech altogether, including Congressman Gregory Meeks who represents Southeastern Queens. He said on Twitter that President Trump, "does not respect me or the communities I represent, so I cannot in good conscience sit idly on the House floor and listen to his scripted speech."

Launch the audio player to hear more about Esder Chong and the congressman. To see who your elected official is bringing, below is a list that WNYC has confirmed. 

New York

New Jersey

President Donald Trump will give his state of the union address at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Tuesday evening.