“Vargas arrived in the U.S. from the Philippines in 1993 when he was 12 years old. He revealed his status as an undocumented immigrant in a Time magazine essay in 1999.
Why wasn’t he arrested and deported at that point?”
And he worked for a bunch of media giants since then. Why didn’t they go after his employers like they all talk about doing.
Many expats enjoy the Philipines.
He has turned himself in and this is what happened...
Upon Vargas’s release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency released the following statement:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol Agents operating at McAllen-Miller International Airport encountered Mr. Vargas and apprehended him after he stated that he was in the country illegally. Mr. Vargas was transported to the McAllen Border Patrol Station where he was processed and provided with a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge. He was released on his own recognizance after consultation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mr. Vargas has not previously been arrested by ICE nor has the agency ever issued a detainer on him or encountered him. ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the agency’s resources to promote border security and to identify and remove criminal individuals who pose a threat to public safety and national security.