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Vargas : 'TNT' Pinoy journalist says 'fight continues' after US relaxes rules
The Filipino Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas welcomed the changes in United States' immigration policy but said the "fight continues" for millions of people like him who are considered as illegals in the US.
In an email shared with GMA News Online by documentary photographer Rick Rocamora, Vargas said, “The struggle and fight continues for the remaining millions of us without legal status, but this is a BIG, BOLD and NECESSARY step in the right direction.”
US President Barack Obama on Friday announced that the US would grant a two-year reprieve to the deportation of undocumented migrants who arrived in the country as children.
Vargas, whose group has been pushing for the passage of the "DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act" said: “This is huge. HUGE. Though I don't qualify--I'm past the age limit of 30 and under; I'm 31.”
“This is a momentous and historic event, and DREAMers across the country are largely responsible for this. You inspired me. You inspire America to dream and live up to its ideals and principles,” he said.
Meanwhile, US-based lawyer and Fil-Am community leader Rodel Rodis said according to his estimate five years ago, there were around 500,000 illegal Filipino immigrants in the US but only a fraction of them would benefit from the Executive Order.
“This EO only applies to a small subset. My guesstimate for this subset is about 50,000,” he said in a comment on his Facebook page.
'Right thing to do'
In his speech, Obama said the decision was the “right thing to do for the American people."
However, the news site Washington Post said Obama's fellow Democrats thought that it was a strategic move to have himself reelected.
Obama said the new policy will benefit some 800,000 illegal immigrants who:
came to the US before the age of 16
are currently 30 years old or below
have lived in the US at least five continuous years
are in school or are high school graduates or are in the military with good standing, and
have clean criminal records.
He also granted a two-year reprieve from deportation along with the chance to apply for a work permit for eligible immigrants although this did not include the sought-after legal status.
“These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they’re friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag,” Obama said at the White House Rose Garden.
“They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” he added.
The decision places Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the spotlight who is known to have opposed the DREAM act.
In a campaign bus tour at New Hampshire, Romney issued a careful statement to reporters that he is considering a more permanent fix.
“I think the action that the president took today makes it more difficult to reach that long-term solution because an executive order is, of course, just a short-term matter," Romney said.
Vying for Hispanic voters?
Most of the illegal immigrants in the United States are Hispanics. Immigration is a big issue for Hispanics, an important voting bloc in the United States that could help determine who wins the election.
Data based on polls show that Obama has a large Hispanic following although Republican strategists believe that Romney can win if he manages to get a slice of the pie from the president, the Washington Post said.
Before the announcement was made, immigration advocates have already been disputing the issue of illegal immigrants with Obama for two years.
The president, during that time insisted that he did not have enough legal authority to halt the removals, calling instead for passage of the DREAM Act.
However, Hispanic Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida heated the pressure to boiling point when he began working with activists on a different version of the bill.
On Twitter, Hon. Damian Nwachi from Twitter asked: “Obama’s new executive order allowing illegal young immigrants to stay in US, a ploy to win latinos?”
Some US citizens, meanwhile, also posted their views on Twitter.
Amy A. Smith said: “Thank you, Obama! The US (proud of our immigrant roots) should be doing more to protect immigrants.”
Big Bs Boston, on the other hand said: “Every single immigrant in this country should be thanking our President. Romney wouldn’t have the balls to issue such an executive order.”
Illegal immigrant
Vargas, who publicly declared last year that he was an illegal immigrant in the US, graces the June 25 cover of Time Magazine, along with 35 other undocumented immigrants in the US.
Vargas also wrote the cover story, describing how he has seen "little progress" in US' immigration policy since 2010 when four undocumented students trekked 1,500 miles from Miami to Washington to press passage of the "DREAM Act."
The bill proposes permanent residency for immigrants who came to the US as minors and achieved certain educational accomplishments.
Moved by what the four students did, Vargas revealed in an essay published in the New York Times in June last year that he too was an illegal immigrant.
Vargas is a journalist who was part of the Washington Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.
In a controversial essay in the New York Times last year, he related how he unknowingly became an illegal immigrant in the US as a 12-year-old boy and had to build a web of lies to survive there. - VVP/HS, GMA News
Source : http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...-relaxes-rules
In an email shared with GMA News Online by documentary photographer Rick Rocamora, Vargas said, “The struggle and fight continues for the remaining millions of us without legal status, but this is a BIG, BOLD and NECESSARY step in the right direction.”
US President Barack Obama on Friday announced that the US would grant a two-year reprieve to the deportation of undocumented migrants who arrived in the country as children.
Vargas, whose group has been pushing for the passage of the "DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act" said: “This is huge. HUGE. Though I don't qualify--I'm past the age limit of 30 and under; I'm 31.”
“This is a momentous and historic event, and DREAMers across the country are largely responsible for this. You inspired me. You inspire America to dream and live up to its ideals and principles,” he said.
Meanwhile, US-based lawyer and Fil-Am community leader Rodel Rodis said according to his estimate five years ago, there were around 500,000 illegal Filipino immigrants in the US but only a fraction of them would benefit from the Executive Order.
“This EO only applies to a small subset. My guesstimate for this subset is about 50,000,” he said in a comment on his Facebook page.
'Right thing to do'
In his speech, Obama said the decision was the “right thing to do for the American people."
However, the news site Washington Post said Obama's fellow Democrats thought that it was a strategic move to have himself reelected.
Obama said the new policy will benefit some 800,000 illegal immigrants who:
came to the US before the age of 16
are currently 30 years old or below
have lived in the US at least five continuous years
are in school or are high school graduates or are in the military with good standing, and
have clean criminal records.
He also granted a two-year reprieve from deportation along with the chance to apply for a work permit for eligible immigrants although this did not include the sought-after legal status.
“These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they’re friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag,” Obama said at the White House Rose Garden.
“They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper,” he added.
The decision places Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the spotlight who is known to have opposed the DREAM act.
In a campaign bus tour at New Hampshire, Romney issued a careful statement to reporters that he is considering a more permanent fix.
“I think the action that the president took today makes it more difficult to reach that long-term solution because an executive order is, of course, just a short-term matter," Romney said.
Vying for Hispanic voters?
Most of the illegal immigrants in the United States are Hispanics. Immigration is a big issue for Hispanics, an important voting bloc in the United States that could help determine who wins the election.
Data based on polls show that Obama has a large Hispanic following although Republican strategists believe that Romney can win if he manages to get a slice of the pie from the president, the Washington Post said.
Before the announcement was made, immigration advocates have already been disputing the issue of illegal immigrants with Obama for two years.
The president, during that time insisted that he did not have enough legal authority to halt the removals, calling instead for passage of the DREAM Act.
However, Hispanic Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida heated the pressure to boiling point when he began working with activists on a different version of the bill.
On Twitter, Hon. Damian Nwachi from Twitter asked: “Obama’s new executive order allowing illegal young immigrants to stay in US, a ploy to win latinos?”
Some US citizens, meanwhile, also posted their views on Twitter.
Amy A. Smith said: “Thank you, Obama! The US (proud of our immigrant roots) should be doing more to protect immigrants.”
Big Bs Boston, on the other hand said: “Every single immigrant in this country should be thanking our President. Romney wouldn’t have the balls to issue such an executive order.”
Illegal immigrant
Vargas, who publicly declared last year that he was an illegal immigrant in the US, graces the June 25 cover of Time Magazine, along with 35 other undocumented immigrants in the US.
Vargas also wrote the cover story, describing how he has seen "little progress" in US' immigration policy since 2010 when four undocumented students trekked 1,500 miles from Miami to Washington to press passage of the "DREAM Act."
The bill proposes permanent residency for immigrants who came to the US as minors and achieved certain educational accomplishments.
Moved by what the four students did, Vargas revealed in an essay published in the New York Times in June last year that he too was an illegal immigrant.
Vargas is a journalist who was part of the Washington Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.
In a controversial essay in the New York Times last year, he related how he unknowingly became an illegal immigrant in the US as a 12-year-old boy and had to build a web of lies to survive there. - VVP/HS, GMA News
Source : http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...-relaxes-rules
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