Undocumented Immigrant Jose Vargas: Obama Announcement ‘Bold, Historic And Necessary’

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to nearly a million undocumented immigrants, who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

The policy change will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. It also bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States illegally but who have attended college or served in the military.

The announcement applies to immigrants who:

Were in the U.S. before they were 16 and are now under 30-years-old
Have been in the country for five years
Have no criminal record
Have graduated from a U.S. high school or GED or have served in the military

These immigrants can apply for a two-year work permit.

‘Extraordinary, Bold and Historic’

Jose Antonio Vargas is shown on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

Journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas applauded the decision.

“This is an extraordinary, bold and historic and necessary move for the Obama administration to make. It could not have come at a better time,” he told Here & Now‘s Robin Young.

Time Magazine: Jose Vargas Featured In ‘Not Legal, Not Leaving’ (subscription)

Vargas came out as an undocumented worker in a New York Times Magazine story last year, and he will not be affected by the announcement.

“I’m 31, so I’m over the age cap,” he said. “But you know, when I came out last summer in the New York Times magazine, the whole point was to say, this is way bigger than me.”

Vargas says the policy change could ameliorate a problem he saw while traveling around the country. Vargas described meeting undocumented immigrants with nursing degrees, who were working as babysitters.

“Here we are with an educated class of people that cannot work, we have a broken system,” he said. “This is beyond politics, this is about doing the right thing.”

But many disagree with granting immunity to any undocumented immigrants, fearing it will ultimately lead to citizenship and that many undocumented immigrants are getting benefits — like in-state tuition — that could deplete resources available to Americans.

“I completely understand their frustration but this is not a zero sum game,” Vargas said. “Everybody being educated benefits everybody. The people who say that this is an overreach, what is the alternative? That we keep having people living in the shadows, that we keep having people who could be contributing to our society and contributing tax revenues, is that what we want?”

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.

Guest:

Jose Antonio Vargas, journalist and undocumented immigrant

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

PJ2012

I am African American and this decision has changed my mind about voting for Obama. We have citizens here that aren’t provided for properly but yet we are allowing non-citizens the privileges that are the rights of CITIZENS.
I worked for the Department of Human Services in which I have approved applications for medical assistance for non-citizens when citizens who has lost their jobs could not get coverage. I approved non-citizens households for food stamps because their children qualified.
I’m beyond livid about Obama’s decision. Granting more privileges to non-citizens has turned me against this administration.
Doing the right thing is taking care of the citizens of this country. It is not my issue or the issue of other citizens of the US that these children’s parent brought them to this country illegally. There lack of full access to all privileges that citizens are entitled to is the fault of their parents, not mine. Enter the country legally and apply for citizenship for right way.
ILLEGALS NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
- caru
  
  watch THE HELP!!!! u need it… NONSENSE PPL….
  - PJ2012
    
    Watched it and it has nothing to do with this BECAUSE the people in The Help were legal citizens of this country.
    If things are so bad in Mexico than their citizens need to stop leaving and work to make their home country better.
    - Joe4
      
      Can a man or woman, that leaves a country where they work hard and still starve call themselves a citzen, where their life has been nothing but affliction and pinching penury, can he call that place his home. Where he is not even considered a citizen, where he is looked down on by others, and only suffers the severity of laws, and the unbalanced punishment in their country. How can they single-handly change their failing economies Opportunity lies in America, should they stay there and suffer, because provincial people like you can’t see the bigger picture. Whomever is in charge, whether presidents or prime ministers of wherever they originated from do not have the skill to change there economy, socially and politically, for the better; why should they suffer. President Obama has a plan for the future to help the economy, soon to be documented immigrants will pay taxes, so their money will go to help the economy, and allow them to understand that the couuntry they are standing by, fought to come to , and are working harding to help grow. If president Obama gets re-elected we will be on the road to a more prosperous and sucesssul path.But if ignoramus people like you, vote for Mitt Romney, you will see how our economy will suffer, and how the gap between the Rich and the poor will widen leaving you and your forgotten job in the dark. there will be too many people to give food stamps to and you will become one of them, and it won’t hit you until your waiting in a line for bread.
- Anna
  
  Yes I totally agree, african americans are sold out as well as all americans, I met a nice
  young african american with a BA degree in Psychology, and taking RN courses, she told
  me the illegals at McDonnels ran her off the job and were racist. I will help any african
  american I can because they helped me as an american white person. The illegals are
  feeling entitled to our hard earned tax moneys. Please vote out Obama, he is not a true
  african american. Please google him and learn about his true identity.
J Frog

Over the years the US has developed a huge, EXPENSIVE social service safety net (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, state programs, pay for anyone’s hospital/medical without insurance, etc). President Obama recently enlarged this social safety net greatly with his expensive so-called “Affordable Care Act”. So having a secure border and a manageable amount of immigrants that could overload this social net is important. President Reagan sold us on a plan (the “Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986″) that would secure the borders. Between 2 to 3 million received amnesty at that time. It turns out, not only didn’t it fix the problem, it may have exacerbated it. Now we have 15 million(?) that need amnesty?

I’m all for amnesty if we can actually CONTROL immigration. But unless its controlled…its not fair to the people living here and the immigrants who enter this country legally.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Francis/100002158029860 Dave Francis

WE CAN STILL DEPORT THE PARENTS, OR WILL OBAMA GIVE A FREE PASS TO THE PARENTS AS WELL?

HOWEVER THE PARENTS CAN BE DEPORTED, AS THEY ARE STILL
ILLEGAL. INTERESTING ENOUGH, THROUGH
PROCESSING THE PARENTS OF THE STUDENTS WOULD BE REVEALED AND ICE CAN DETAIN AND
DEPORT. NOT TO FORGET THAT THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN WILL SUFFER, AS THESE
FOREIGN NATIONAL KIDS ARE ISSUED 800 THOUSANDS VISAS.

The Obama
administration is passing laws by decree now, without any oversight and not
being addressed by the House of Representatives. I thought this type of enacting policies as
this, was for the dictatorships of the world? This is AMNESTY by any other name
and will generate a firestorm amongst Independents voters as me, explicitly the
TEA PARTY? I guess the Obama government sees themselves above the “rule of Law.”
Obviously this is a political push for the children of foreign nationals and
certainly performed on behalf of the majority ethnic population? Is this another bloated fraud policy, as seen
in the 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act.

With the
possibility of a work visa, they will be able to apply for taxpayer’s money for
enrollment in colleges. THIS IS BILLIONS MORE DOLLARS TO THE STRAINED FINANCES FOR
EDUCATION AND FURTHERANCE OF EVEN MORE
PENDING MASSIVE CHAIN MIGRATION; AT LEAST THE PARENTS CAN BE DEPORTED FOR BREAKING
IMMIGRATION LAWS? Democrats have always
been generous with other people’s money, so it is very scary wondering what’s
next in their agenda of their ‘Political Correctness’? Without any
contradiction this is a means to gain millions of extra votes from persons
already here, including non-citizens? This has clearly been shown by the Obama
Dept of IN-Justice suing Florida, for ethically doing the correct thing of
erasing non citizens from the election rolls. EVERY PRO-SOVEREIGNTY AMERICAN WHO HAS NEVER CARED TO VOTE SHOULD JOIN
THE TEA PARTY OR VOTE AGAINST THE OBAMA REGIME. WITH ORGANIZATIONS AS GEORGE
SOROS, MOVE ON ORG AND PRO-ULTRA LEFT, ANTI AMERICAN GROUPS, THE COMMUNIST
FOUNDED ACLU AND OTHER SPECIAL INTEREST OUR U.S. CONSTITUTION IS IN PERIL, GRAVE
THREAT AS WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE?

REMEMBER MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR OBAMA, WANT LOT’S OF WELFARE
PROGRAMS, TO LIVE LIKE PARASITES OF THE REST OF US… and not just
Illegal aliens..?

If you want
to read the truth about the lawlessness and carnage along the border, then
bookmark the ‘AMERICAN PATROL’ website.�
Investigate other headlines today such as ‘Catch and release for low-priority illegal’s proposed — Border
agency’s secret draft policy includes ‘prosecutorial discretion’, Obama
implements DREAM amnesty by executive fiat!, The Fast and Furious scandal , Reporter
heckles Obama during speech declaring sell-out of U.S. workers, Obama regime to
help illegal’s, LA Mayor Villaraigosa delighted over Obama’s outrageous decree,
Rep. Granger alarmed by Obama chicanery, Out-of-control Obama regime to bypass Congress
on illegal’s today, Bombastic assemblyman wants to keep criminal illegal’s in
the state, NYPD faces politicians, Muslim advocates seeking control of cops, Voters
need to make their voices heard on illegal immigration, etc.,

AMERICAN PATROL is a current exposure site of the nationwide E-media and newspapers, blogs
and commentary that the Liberal press prefers to keep from the public. Daily,
the truth is revealed about illegal immigration and the corruption in
Washington and state assemblies. This is intelligence not found in
the press, which the parties keep suppressed. There is an eye opening
video from TEA PARTY. ORG about the stunning claim that President Obama
is ineligible for the position in the White House and every citizen should
judge for their own peace of mind.

The Obama is stealing millions of American’s livelihood, by trying to
close down the coal, gas and oil industry. We have more oil in regions of
America, then any other place on this planet and would pay off the $16 Trillion
dollars; we owe nations that don’t like us. The Canadian pipeline would lighten
the load of all consumers gas needs, but Obama has prohibited it and may now be
sold to our enemy China. Both parties
are to blame for this immigration mess, we find our country hopelessly swamped under?
We must alter our future before it’s too
late and end this Presidents reign of Socialist philosophy, to give away our
wealth to other nations, as ‘THE TREATY OF THE SEA’. Do you know about this issue?
judgeroybean

Vargas is a great spokesman. He applied for and received a minority scholarship at San Francisco State University, thereby depriving a needy and deserving minority US citizen of a scholarship, in a clear violation of the rules governing the scholarship (these are always stated in the application; non-US citizens are simply not eligible, but I guess Vargas thinks he is above the application of this, just like he thinks the immigration laws do not apply to him). Vargas was also apparently an affirmative action hire at the Washington Post. So in other words, he took a scholarship and a job away from native born minority US citizens, whose families have some record of discrimination in this country, which is of course the reason for affirmative action in the first place (it is not for lying illegal immigrants from the Philippines). And now he beats his chest in public about it! This is fraud, pure and simple. Small wonder Vargas does not want the law enforced, given his long record of flagrantly violating it.
judgeroybean

Vargas is not an “undocumented immigrant”. He is an illegal alien. Stop using Orwellian terms that undermine the meaning of citizenship, sovereignty and rule of law.
Shrdlu42

I see the unthinking ideologues are on full display here. You don’t like what the President did, so you hurl conclusory opinions (devoid of fact or reason) and epithets instead. (For example, it’s clear none of you have the slightest idea what the word “socialist” actually means. It’s not simply a catch-all for anything you don’t like.)

—————————————————–

To Mr. Francis:

The policy doesn’t deal with the parents, the one’s who actually broke the law by coming here. (Children can’t, since they are not old enough to be legally responsible for their actions, let alone their parents’ actions – over which they had no say or influence.)

How will issuing these visas cause American children to suffer? I’d say they will suffer, and are suffering, from Republi-Con policies that slash programs “thousands” need merely to survive, and which encourage corporations to send jobs “off-shore”.

But don’t worry, that latter fact will take care of the whole problem, as Americans become “illegal aliens” elsewhere in desperate pursuit of jobs no longer available here!

As for “oversight by the House of Representatives” – I realize that you think only Republi-Con government counts, but what ever happened to the Senate?

I will agree with you on one point, though: In none of the stories have I heard any discussion of the legal authority for the President’s actions. It’s supposedly an exercise of prosecutorial (or executive) discretion, but I question that. Congress writes our Immigration Laws, if those laws include authority for the President to do this, well and good. If not, then . . . .

But, unless you condemned all the dictatorial conduct by Presidents Reagan (Iran-Contra, arms for hostages, remember?) and Bush the Second (too numerous to mention), spare me your hypocrisy!

As for Florida: funny, even Republicans working in their county Boards of Election object to what is going on there. I guess the fact that many people (in fact most of them) are being INCORRECTLY and ILLEGALLY thrown off the voting rolls means nothing to you, let alone the fact that despite Republi-Con propaganda, “voter fraud” simply isn’t the big problem they pretend it is. (But of course, Republi-Cons have never believed in “reality based” policies.)

I can’t be bothered refuting the rest of your nonsense. However, let me add that just because you call something “amnesty”, doesn’t make it amnesty. Look up the meaning of the term sometime!

—————————————————–

To J Frog:

Guess what? There’s only one law that fits the charge you made, that the U.S. will “pay for anyone’s hospital/medical without insurance, etc.”. It’s called the Emergency Medical Treatment Act, and it allows anyone to “freeload” on our health care system by receiving emergency, life-saving, treatment regardless of the ability to pay.

Know how it’s paid for? Not by your precious tax dollars (at least, not directly). No money gets paid for these services, not by the “social service safety net (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security)”, or the other things you Republi-Cons love to rant about. Nope, the hospitals (etc.) receive no money for it, so they add this cost to their overhead, and charge the rest of us more! (Now you know one reason an aspirin costs $5 a pill in a hospital.)

And what dirty, communist, liberal, progressive member of the Democratic Party inflicted this EXPENSIVE law on us? Ronald Reagan!

The Affordable Care Act, is not part of the “social safety net”. It operates through private insurance companies. Stop swallowing the LIE that this is a “government takeover” – it’s not!

As for “controlling our border”, you do realize most of the illegal aliens actually came to this country legally, and overstayed their visas! I wonder why the right-wing fixates on the smaller problem! (It couldn’t be politics, could it?)

—————————————————–

To PJ2012:

As an “African American” you should know better than to fall for Republi-Con rhetoric. After all, they scream about “reverse discrimination”, but have no problem with the fact that it’s a “crime” to drive, walk, or breath “while Black”. Do you really think it’s a coincidence there are so many signs at Tea Bagger rallies depicting Obama as a half-naked African Witch Doctor? (Maybe they just like his bod.)

Guess what? Medical assistance, food stamps, etc., are not limited to “citizens”. You display your ignorance of the law by harping on that. The Constitution forbids discrimination based on whether one is a citizen. The Due Process and Equal Protection clauses apply to “any person”, not “any citizen”.

(How typical of Republi-Cons: prattle of your “love” for the Constitution, while simultaneously violating it!)

—————————————————–

To judgeroybean:

Talk of Orwellian use of the language! You provide a prime example.

The correct, legal, term is “undocumented alien”. That’s the phrase used in the very laws you scream should be enforced. But “illegal” sounds so much “sexier”, so you use that instead!

Oh, and once and for all, one does not have to be a “citizen” to be legally present in this country. My mother was a “resident alien”, legally admitted and present, for decades before she became a citizen.

(And before you ask: yes, I was born here, as was my father. So I am very much a citizen too.)

I know of no rule that restricts “minority” scholarships to citizens. Care to provide proof to back up that claim? (And you must prove it applies to ALL such scholarships.)

Whether, as an undocumented alien, Vargas should have received such a scholarship is another matter entirely.

Oh, and since Vargas himself won’t qualify under this new program, thanks for raising so many “red herrings”!

—————————————————–

Meanwhile, for all your right-wing bloviating you all side-step the crucial issues:

1) Does the President have the authority to do this?

2) Is a two year work visa truly an adequate solution to this problem?

3) Are we so cruel as a nation, or so desperate, that destroying the life of otherwise law-abiding young people, brought here through no fault of their own, is the only way to address this problem?

How about discussing that, instead of merely spewing your bile?
- J Frog
  
  If the Affordable Care Act, is not part of the “social safety net” then why was President Obama and the media claiming it would “save money” in the budget? Its a public program not a private one.
- PJ2012
  
  1. I agree and disagree with some of the Rupublican and Deomocratic ideology. I vote for the best candidate. I have voted for members of both parties.
  2. Maybe they do like his bod, I wouldn’t know. However, I also agree with some of the politics of Tea Party. No party is completely wrong. To your point of Blacks being discriminated against, that’s true but I don’t see Blacks illegally entering other countries because of the way they are treated but instead STAY and fight to make their lives better in their home country.
  3. If I didn’t know the law or my ethical obligations to my job, I very easily could have found a way to deny the illegals that came to my office. So no, I never violated the constitution. That was very ignorant of you to say. Just because it’s the law doesn’t mean it’s right. Laws are changed often and the Constitution does get amended and I sincerely hope that we stop catering to people that aren’t citizens because frankly they don’t deserve it.
  4. If wanting the best for the legal citizens of the US and not wanting illegals to be given many of the same privileges makes me a Republi-Con prattler, I’ll be that.
  5. I do have the right to NOT vote for a candidate that creates policies I do not like that’s the privilege I have as a citizen. I wouldn’t imagine that you would vote for Romney? Or can you even vote?
  6. Thank you for your reply! It has actually encourged me to do more than type responses online. I will be contacting my local and state reprensentatives and finding organizations that disagree with the Presidents immigration policy, which shouldn’t be difficult. I hope in my lifetime the way the US overindulges illegals will stop.
Anna

I as an american white person can’t get paid against cheaper wages and double shifts,
and illegals clocking out and working for free. Why should a company hire me when
they get younger cheaper labor, espeically in our health care system which is why patients
die and get MRSA, staff infections ect. We have stupid illegal doctors from India and hire
illegals from all over for cheap 3rd world wages. .

This will just get worse, a 48 healthy neighbor just died from blood clots and unnecessary
surgery from Kaiser Permanenty, and many otheres too
Starvargas8877

I have a ? Maybe you can help me with. I too am illegal was brought here at the age of 8, i am now 32. All my life I’ve had to live with my parents one in female two illegal 3gay. As happy as i am for all those who are able to benefit from obamas law,i am jealous at the same time. They will be able to be have a future. I am a honor roll high school graduate,teachers assistant certified, medical assistant, machines operator, quality control supervisor, and now dog groomer working for a mobile spa. With all those certifications i can do nothing. Wish i could. You see last year i tried committing suicide and this year as well. Y right. Well since i was 3 my father has sexually molested me till age21, because my girl friend had moved in with me to keep him away from me, now she has past away.and in still stuck living with both parents. Because i can’t get a job were i get payed right wages. Right now i work 3days a week