Undocumented Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas Detained At The Border

[Boiler 46,284]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/jose-antonio-vargas-detai_n_5587763.html

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas was arrested Tuesday after attempting to board a plane out of McAllen, Texas, according to United We Dream, an immigration advocacy group.

On July 10, Vargas, who is an undocumented immigrant, flew to the small border town with a camera crew from his own organization, Define American. Vargas, like many other immigration activists, was there to interview and film undocumented minors fleeing escalating violence in their home countries in Central America. But what Vargas didn't know is that in order to leave the border town, he would need to pass through an interior U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint set up within 45 miles of McAllen.

In an interview with The Huffington Post on Saturday, Vargas, a former HuffPost editor, said he intended to fly out of McAllen using his Philippines-issued passport.

On Tuesday morning, prior to reports of his arrest, Vargas alerted his Twitter followers that he would be attempting to pass through airport security.

"About to go thru security at McAllen Airport. I don't know what's going to happen. For updates follow @DefineAmerican & @MAC_UTPA," he said.

According to a United We Dream press release, Vargas was taken into custody by the Border Patrol in McAllen after attempting to board a flight to Los Angeles. The Border Patrol maintains a security presence at the McAllen-Miller International Airport.

A person who accompanied Vargas to the airport told HuffPost that Vargas handed his Philippines passport to a TSA agent, who asked if he was traveling with a visa. Vargas said he was not. According to the source, Vargas was then directed toward one of the 21,000 border patrol agents who have the border region on lockdown.

The agent asked Vargas two or three questions, placed him in handcuffs and escorted him to the McAllen border patrol station for more questioning, according to the source. The station is not a detention center.

[Darnell 8,479]

Excellent News ! It's about time he got caught.

[SMOKE 1,426]

deport him. he can film his return sneaking back in. it'd be an award winning documentary.

[Mollie09 1,543]

They're not going to deport him because it will add to the bad press they're already getting.

Which is unfortunate, since it was about time he stopped talking about how hard life is for him as an illegal alien living freely in the US and ignoring the laws we all have to follow.

Edited July 15, 2014 by F1H1I130

[lostinblue 1,989]

Just make it a felony to enter the US without that little stamp in your passport. Problem solved. Now he will return and everyone will be shown how to enter and cross our borders. In a few months a new and grander wave will arrive with more on their way. No doubt he will have a best selling movie to the south of us.

[Boiler 46,284]

I agree this is just the start.

[PantomimeGoose 59]

I love it: the US's premiere documentor/advocate for the (illegal) immigrant experience is *completely, blissfully unaware* of southern inland border checkpoints.

[Sousuke 1,214]

I would have thought he had had been eligible for temporary status under last years EO since he was a child brought illegally. I guess he is too old?

[GurkenSalat 48]

Guy gets caught blatantly breaking the law, law enforcement gets bad publicity. Yep, it makes total sense! Is it wrong that I have no sympathy for him?

[Boiler 46,284]

31 I think was the cut off, and he has some interesting false claims to US Citizenship.

Still think Obama will cut him some slack.

[kehills 217]

He was released several hours ago. He's not considered a priority processing immigrant, in part because of how he was brought here and in part because he's not a violent criminal, he hasn't been sent over the border and crossed back over, and he's not a recent border crosser.

Vargas has also been vocal about the fact that his visibility is what protects him, and that it's problematic that Immigration won't deport him even when he has asked how to turn himself in.

http://www.vox.com/2014/7/12/5893711/jose-antonio-vargas-stuck-border-immigration-checkpoints

[Boiler 46,284]

Sadly I was right.

[Pooky 3,844]

Too bad. It would have been interesting to see the full process of the law visited on this lowlife self- publicist.

[Boiler 46,284]

Helps to have friends.

[TBoneTX 46,295]

I love it: the US's premiere documentor/advocate for the (illegal) immigrant experience is *completely, blissfully unaware* of southern inland border checkpoints.

Si, man. The inland checkpoints can be brutal. Do not, even as a born U.S. citizen, go through the one south of Alpine, Texas. Do everything in your power to take another route through more professional checkpoints.

1. in order to leave the border town, he would need to pass through an interior U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint set up within 45 miles of McAllen.

2. The Border Patrol maintains a security presence at the McAllen-Miller International Airport.

1.

2. -- and an object lesson for any of us or our loved ones to NOT treat "carrying our papers" lightly. Until Mrs. T-B. got her green card, I made sure that she had our marriage certificate with her at all times, along with the latest USCIS approval received (or a copy of the latest cover-letter that we'd sent for the next step in her process). Those CBP agents have no sense of humor and are usually actively looking to nail someone.

Edited July 16, 2014 by TBoneTX