July 15, 2014
Jose Antonio Vargas Released From Border Patrol Station in McAllen
Immigrant Families are Still Trapped at the Border
McAllen, TX. – Jose Antonio Vargas of Define American, has been released by Border Patrol in McAllen after being detained while attempting to board a plane to Los Angeles. But along the border, our undocumented community still remains trapped, unable to travel freely.
Vargas originally traveled to the border in support United We Dream (UWD) and Minority Affairs Council (MAC), a local UWD affiliate, in order to highlight the stories of refugee children who have fled countries in Central America because of increased levels of violence. The organizations have been volunteering in shelters that provide support to children and families.
Cristina Jimenez, Managing Director of United We Dream issued the following statement,
“While we’re glad that Jose Antonio has now been released, his arrest and detention prove once again that the Border Patrol is a rogue agency that should have determined that Jose was a low-priority case for detention and deportation. Jose Antonio’s treatment by Border Patrol agents shows that the border is, in fact, secure if someone with his public profile is detained.”
“The reality is that our undocumented communities along the border remain trapped and living in crisis. We have parents like Adela Menchaca, a mother of a U.S. citizen daughter, hasn’t left the border in 15 years as she’s surrounded by uncertainty and checkpoints.”
Luis Maldonado, of Minority Affairs Council issued the following statement,
“For 17 years, I was trapped in my own country. I was unable to attend my dream university because I couldn’t leave McAllen. Thousands of people from our community along the border live this every day.”
“Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has allowed me the freedom to travel, but I still don’t feel free because my close friends and family are still unable to travel. This is why we remain committed to calling on President Obama to act big on administrative relief. Mothers like Adela deserve relief too. Jose Antonio deserves relief too. Our undocumented community deserves relief.”