Thread: Reporter's admission shows flaw in law

Reporter's admission shows flaw in law

By Raul ReyesPosted 18h 33m ago

Jose Antonio Vargas, 30, is a journalist who has written for The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the Virginia Tech shootings while at The Washington Post. Last month, he had his biggest scoop: In The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Vargas came out as undocumented.

Vargas describes how his grandfather arranged for him to come from the Philippines as a child. He discovered he was undocumented at 16, when he applied for a driver's license and the clerk told him his green card was fake. Since then, Vargas has been breaking the law. But with this article, he's decided "I'm done running. … I don't want that life anymore."

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Vargas has faced criticism from journalists and the anti-immigrant crowd. These detractors miss the big picture, focusing on Vargas' illegal acts, rather than the system that drove him to a life of deceit. What's more, Vargas did not act alone. He had the help of family, friends, co-workers and strangers, all of whom recognized he deserved a shot at achieving his dreams.

Slate's Jack Shafer called Vargas' career a "con." His former editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, Phil Bronstein, wrote, "Jose lied to me and … that's not kosher." Yet Vargas feared that had he been honest, his career would have been over. His concern was confirmed when he admitted to The Seattle Times that he was undocumented, and it withdrew its internship offer.

Some Times readers suggested Vargas should have taken steps to get right by the law. But Vargas would have had to return to the Philippines for 10 years with no guarantee of being able to come back. Yes, he broke the law, but what about those who helped him along the way? The DMV clerk sent him away when she could have called the police. Vargas' high school principal found him a college scholarship where his immigration status did not matter. His boss at TheWashington Post kept quiet about his illegal status. If people are being forced to choose between doing the humane thing and the legal thing, it's time to reform our laws.

Will immigration officials try to deport him? Thus far, as even President Obama has stated, the enforcement priority is on dangerous criminals. Vargas has proved that he has much to contribute, and he has taken a bold step in telling his story publicly. He does not represent a problem. The problem is our flawed, inconsistent immigration policy.


Raul Reyes is an attorney in New York and a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors.
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If people are being forced to choose between doing the humane thing and the legal thing, it's time to reform our laws.

No. It means we need to enforce our laws consistently.

The problem is our flawed, inconsistent immigration policy

He has a point there. We need to deport or self deport ALL OF THEM . Enough of the hand outs to these criminals! Enough of bending the laws to suit the purposes of corporations and banks