UMD Student to Accompany Sen. Warren to Trump Speech
A UMass Dartmouth student who is also an Iraqi refugee will be accompanying U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren to President Donald Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
The Massachusetts Democrat says Tiba Faraj will be her guest at the speech. Warren says Faraj arrived in Massachusetts in 2010 with her parents and sibling after a journey spanning seven years and thousands of miles. She became an American citizen last year.
Faraj's journey began in 2006 when her father was shot and disabled after working for an American-backed development organization in Iraq.
The family fled to Jordan and was granted admission to the U.S. after a lengthy screening process. They live in Boston. Faraj studies accounting at UMass-Dartmouth.
Warren says Faraj's courage, resilience and optimism embody the American spirit.