As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his 2026 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, several county sheriffs have been invited as guests to highlight law enforcement priorities and public safety concerns at the federal level.
Among them are Sheriff Robert Milby, Sheriff Scott Byrd and Sheriff Chris Stratton, invited by Republican lawmakers as part of the guest list.
Read more: Trump’s State of the Union address: Which guests and speakers are attending? All we know
Sheriff Robert Milby
Sheriff Robert Milby is the elected sheriff of Wayne County, New York. Sheriff Milby is in his second term after he got re-elected in January 2026.
He has positioned himself as a law enforcement leader focused on maintaining public safety while managing tensions around immigration enforcement in his community. According to Fingerlakes.com, Milby has worked to foster communication between his office and ICE to avoid conflict.
Last year, Milby went to the South to research immigration enforcement and meet with officials, including Tom Homan, the border czar nominated by Trump.
He stated that although Wayne County won’t serve as a sanctuary, his administration won’t support ICE in the absence of concrete evidence.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) invited Sheriff Robert Milby to attend as her guest.
Read more: When is the State of the Union address 2026? Here’s what to expect in Trump’s speech
Sheriff Chris Stratton
Sheriff Chris Stratton is the elected sheriff of Clermont County, Ohio. Stratton previously served as Chief Deputy and rose through the ranks over three decades.
Stratton’s law enforcement career began in 1993, and he has held roles in road patrol, investigations, the SWAT team and administrative leadership before becoming sheriff, according to the Clermont sheriff official biography page.
His educational background includes criminal justice studies and advanced training in public safety leadership.
Representative Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) invited Stratton to the State of the Union to highlight grassroots perspectives from Ohio communities