A man who has become something of a symbol for people who support the cause of undocumented immigrants in the United States has been quite public about the fact that he is, himself, undocumented. He even wrote a piece on it for the New York Times, and he is the winner of a Pulitzer Prize. He also started a group, which he named "Define American," to help with this cause.
For the past three years, the authorities had not done anything to him at all for these claims. However, the man was recently going through the airport in McAllen, Texas, when all of that changed. He was going to California, but he allegedly told the Border Patrol agents that he did not have proper documentation. As a result, they arrested him.
The situation was quickly resolved, and authorities released him. He was told that he needed to show up in front of an immigration judge, though. This information came directly from a statement put out by the Department of Homeland Security.
The man released his own statement after the authorities let him go, saying that he was thankful to his supporters. He mentioned how even simple things that many people take for granted, such as getting through an airport to get on a short flight, could be hard for those who do not have documentation.
When someone is facing detention based on their status in the United States, it is important that they know what legal options they have. They want to pay very close attention to their rights, as this can get complicated in these cases, and they need to make sure that those rights are never violated.
Source: CNN, "Journalist Jose Vargas, symbol of immigration debate, detained at airport" Eliott C. McLaughlin, Jul. 15, 2014