"Democrats literally chose an illegal immigrant to give their response to President Trump’s address," the NRCC wrote in a post to X on Wednesday with a clip of Espaillat's remarks. "Predictably, this radical called Trump’s presidency a 'reign of terror.' Democrats couldn’t be more disconnected from the American people."

The National Republican Congressional Committee attacked Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-New York), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, on its social media account.

President Trump repeatedly returned to the subject of illegal immigration on Tuesday night, when he touted his record and took aim at how Democrats have handled the issue.

Trump is seeking money for detention beds and repatriation flights as it ramps up an effort to remove migrants who are in the country without legal permission.

U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office on January 20, aiming to reduce illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and deport record numbers of immigrants without legal status.