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Jose Antonio Vargas Released From Border Patrol
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 16, 2014
Modified Jul 16, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 16, 2014
Modified Jul 16, 2014
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who had been detained by U.S. Border Patrol in Texas for most of yesterday, was released. Vargas, who admitted he was an undocumented immigrant in a 2011 article, had been there to document the influx of other undocumented immigrants.
He was released at 6 p.m. The NY Times reports, "Mr. Vargas was detained at a Border Patrol checkpoint in the airport of this city in the Rio Grande Valley before he was to board a flight to Houston, on his way to Los Angeles. In a terse statement, Department of Homeland Security officials said they had released Mr. Vargas because he had no prior immigration or criminal record. They said their focus was on deporting immigrants who posed security threats."
Vargas, who didn't realize his green card was fake until he tried to get his driver's license, released a statement through Define American, the immigration reform campaign he co-founded:
As an unaccompanied child migrant myself, I came to McAllen, Texas, to shed a light on children who parts of America and many in the news media are actively turning their backs on. But what I saw was the generosity of the American people, documented and undocumented, in the Rio Grande Valley.
I’ve been released by Border Patrol. I want to thank everyone who stands by me and the undocumented immigrants of south Texas and across the country. Our daily lives are filled with fear in simple acts such as getting on an airplane to go home to our family.
With Congress failing to act on immigration reform, and President Obama weighing his options on executive action, the critical question remains: how do we define American?
He also told the Times, "I was released today because I am a low priority and not considered a threat. I would argue that the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country are not a threat either."
Tagged
border crisis
immigration
immigration reform
Jose Antonio Vargas
texas
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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