Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas Released By Border Patrol

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

CAITLIN MACNEAL – JULY 15, 2014, 6:16 PM EDT

Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented journalist and activist, was released by U.S. Border Patrol on Tuesday after he was arrested before boarding a flight from McAllen, Tex. to Los Angeles, Calif., according to a statement from Vargas' organization Define American.

"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," Vargas said in the statement.

Vargas traveled to the border town of McAllen to interview undocumented children who fled from their home countries in Central America. Once he arrived, he realized that he would have to pass through a Border Patrol checkpoint or attempt to fly to another American city in order to leave.

"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," he said in the Tuesday evening statement.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jose-antonio-vargas-released-border-patrol

[Gman]

1. All he had to do is

Drive north to the Falfurias checkpoint , say yes when they ask if he's a US citizen, say no that no ones with him, say he's traveling to San Antonio, let them finish walking the dog around the car and he'd have been home free.

So I think he was giving himself up for the story. He's been here plenty long enough to pass for a US citizen with his English skills. Jeez, the guy is a Pulitzer Prize winner. I have a harder time and I'm Anglo than he would have had. He wouldn't have had a problem.

[24601]

3. But if you lie to law enforcement, they now have you for a bigger offense.

[Gman]

4. I guarantee you he wouldn't be the first. But I don't think they are technically law enforcement

There are videos on YouTube where people refuse to cooperate with the border patrol and are waved through because it is actually unconstitutional in this country to be stopped and asked for papers.

[localroger]

5. They are LEO's

As a citizen you have the right to refuse to answer their questions at all, and they generally know this. It's a bit of a chess game and they really depend on people not knowing their rights. Lying to them is indeed a crime, and having the wrong color skin is a great way to get investigated in much more detail if you assert your right to silence.

[24601]

6. I believe someone has given you poor information. SCOTUS, in a 1976 case,

United States v. Martinez-Fuerte, allowed the United States Border Patrol to set up permanent or fixed checkpoints on public highways leading to or away from the Mexican border, and ruled that these checkpoints are not a violation of the Fourth Amendment.

I don't recall that they actually asked for their papers; however, the purpose of the checkpoint was not in question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Martinez-Fuerte


"With more than 60,000 employees, CBP is one of the world's largest law enforcement organizations and is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. while facilitating lawful international travel and trade."

"As the world's first full-service border entity, CBP takes a comprehensive approach to border management and control, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection into one coordinated and supportive activity."

"The men and women of CBP are responsible for enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations. On a typical day, CBP welcomes nearly 1 million visitors, screens more than 67,000 cargo containers, arrests more than 1,100 individuals and seizes nearly 6 tons of illicit drugs."

[and they change diapers....]

Source: http://www.cbp.gov/about


And - DHS Org Chart: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs-orgchart.pdf

[Fred Sanders]

2. What Vargas saw, as he said, was the generosity of the vast majority of Americans, I will say again

it is the irresponsible and unaccountable media that wants to portray America as unwelcoming, the media is the enemy of the refugees as much as Republicans.

[Gothmog]

7. This is great news

I am glad that he was released