CNN: “Journalist Jose Vargas, symbol of immigration debate, detained at airport”

Jose Vargas, an award-winning journalist and prominent activist for undocumented immigrants, was detained this morning by US Customs and Border Protection at McAllen-Miller International Airport. Mr. Vargas was in McAllan, Texas (near the US/Mexican border) to report on the plight of undocumented immigrants (in particular, the surge of Central American children crossing the border, which we previously discussed) and he wrote he only become aware after traveling to the area that “for an undocumented immigrant like me, getting out of a border town in Texas—by plane or by land—won’t be easy. It might, in fact, be impossible.” His only documentation, he tweeted earlier this morning, was his Philippine passport and pocketbook US Constitution.

UPDATE: Mr. Vargas was released Tuesday evening with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. Department of Homeland Security officials said in a statement "they had released Mr. Vargas because he had no prior immigration or criminal record" and "their focus was on deporting immigrants who posed security threats."

Boat Dance 2014

Our annual summer Boat Dance party. Briana (wearing a Champagne Campaign sweatshirt) is asking if she can start dancing yet. Manny says wait until dark. Joseph and Carolyn are getting their hair ready. Everyone is having fun. Happy summer, everyone.

The Guardian: "White House seeks $3.7bn in extra funding to address child migrant crisis"

The White House is seeking $3.7 billion in additional funding in response to the nearly 52,000 children who have arrived at the southern US border since last October. The funds for this "urgent humanitarian situation" would be used for providing care for the unaccompanied children as they await detention (including detention alternatives such as ankle bracelets), speeding up cases through the system, expanding law enforcement collaboration, and foreign campaigns to address root causes of migration, including funds for Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to "support youth programs and develop skills and leadership among potential migrants."

It's not exactly clear how these "youth programs" will fare against brutal gangs and drug cartels who kill and/or threaten to kill--which this Daily Beast report cited as a cause of the migrant surge. In addition, interviews conducted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees of over 400 of these migrant children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico found that the "majority of the children were trying to escape violence and/or abuse in their home countries." Some disagree, however, arguing that President Obama's policies have contributed to the crisis on the border.

The White House is also seeking to change child anti-trafficking laws passed under George W. Bush (with bipartisan support) designed to protect at-risk and abused children. Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee says: "'A massive deportation policy for children is not a humane thing to do.'"

Happy Birthday, Matt!

As the nation celebrates America's birthday, Matt Bray celebrates his with a muffin and bagels. And sunglasses indoors. Because he can do whatever he wants--it's his birthday.

"If We Won"

In time for the Fourth of July, actor and comedian Stephen Merchant has a very amusing advert imagining if the British had won the American Revolutionary War.

"Oh America, if we'd won the war you'd have better comedy, news, TV programs, and way better rude words."

Australians in New York City

I was at the Australian-owned Milk Bar in Prospect Heights last summer eating a delicious Cheddar Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich after I'd just had a flat white at Glass Shop when I thought, Wow, there really are a lot of Australians in New York City. Many others have had this thought too, such as Lizzie B. who recently sent me this Gothamist post, which credits the E-3 visa for the influx of Australians in the city (to be fair, there's also a lot of Australians in Los Angeles). Lizzie B. is herself no stranger to Australians and E-3s as she wrote a very informative post discussing E-3s, H-1Bs, and TNs (which included a super cool chart).

Is New York City the new London for Australians? Maybe. Either way, Protima isn't complaining as she is obsessed with Australian coffee, and I have to agree: it is very good. She loves Cafe Grumpy and Toby's Estate. There's also Little Collins and Bluestone Lane.

Where to eat and drink? Try Little Australia. Or Flinders Lane.

The most interesting Australian import? Périgord black truffles ("...fresh truffles offer a complex, musky and earthy flavour that’s hard to pigeonhole – 'sex' is one of the more out-there descriptors people have reached for..."), grown in Western Australia and served at Thomas Keller's Per Se.

Much Ado About Nothing

From The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. an annual summer tradition here in New York City.

My Favorite Immigration-Related Site

Protima Daryanani - ImmigrationAtty.tumblr.com
Other than sites where I get my daily legal updates, I usually check ImmigrationAtty.tumblr.com for a lighthearted take on all things immigration. The author uses GIFs from television and film to express the myriad of emotions we immigration attorneys experience (sometimes in a day). From the insanity of H-1B season, to the unauthorized practice of law, to frustrations with government websites, the author (and contributors) manages to capture the exact sentiment.

Manuel G. Otero - Immigration Impact
The goal of Immigration Impact, launched in 2008 by the American Immigration Council, is to encourage a thoughtful and informed conversation regarding comprehensive immigration reform in the US. It is an excellent resource for news regarding US immigration topics, including reform efforts being undertaken at both the state and national level. The website also focuses on many of the most important topics framing the US immigration reform debate today, including issues regarding border security, enforcement efforts, the economic effects of US immigration policies on businesses and entrepreneurship, as well as addressing the issues raised by “Restrictionist” groups such as the Tea Party. Overall, Immigration Impact debates these issues in a manner that respects both sides of the argument, all in the hope of fostering a civilized debate that will lead to workable and effective comprehensive policy reform.

Matthew Bray - Insightful Immigration Blog
In a friendly collegial spirit (unusual for New York City law firms, I know), I’d like to recommend the Insightful Immigration Blog published by the law firm of Cyrus D. Mehta & Associates, PLLC, a small NYC-based firm. This blog is particularly good at providing technical, lawyerly, and more in-depth analysis on topics relevant to immigration litigators including the latest Second Circuit case law in addition to posts such as the one celebrating the naturalized American who won the Boston marathon this year. The writing is high quality and the analysis top notch. Much like another immigration law blog I know.

Elizabeth Brettschneider - Cool Immigration Lawyers (no link. Invite only. Yep, super cool.)
Did I join this invite-only Facebook group just for the name? I plead the fifth.  Not only do I get to feel popular by being a member of this group, but I actually have learned some valuable information. Attorneys can post questions, stories, and immigration-related news articles to this group and have their fellow attorneys comment. Importantly, attorneys also often post questions on procedure or a complicated legal conundrum and this makes the forum a useful place to get trusted opinions on these questions; however, the most enjoyable posts are when attorneys write about their hard-fought victories. I particularly love reading these posts. In the practice of immigration law there can often be complicated fact-patterns, procedural histories, and sometimes confusing government agency actions. So when after years of struggle an attorney can claim a victory and feel like they’ve positively changed the life of their client, it’s nice to have a forum to share with others who understand the struggle. Whenever I feel like my frequent reading of this group’s posts on asylum victories or the latest Department of Labor practices has cemented me as an immigration attorney nerd, all I have to do is look back at the forum title and be assured that, no, in fact I am “cool.”

Ashley Emerson - @USAinUK
The US Embassy in London has its own Twitter handle! Created in May 2008, the US Embassy tweets several times daily and has over 29,900 followers. This Twitter account is a fun and eclectic mix of US and world news, cultural events, and engaging and entertaining happenings. Some of my favorite tweets over the past month have related to the World Cup (see #OneNationOneTeam), a stray duckling being guarded by a US Embassy policeman, and their photo contest--not to mention helpful reminders for such events as the "Ask a Consular Officer" webchats. Overall the Twitter account is informative and entertaining. I highly recommend reading!

Jacki Granet - @joseiswriting and @defineamerican
A few weeks ago, Protima and I saw a riveting documentary called Documented, featuring Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting). Mr. Vargas came to the US as a child and has lived here ever since. Mr. Vargas is an undocumented immigrant. He went to elementary, junior high, and high school in the US, then to college, and is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist working in the US. In the last few years, Mr. Vargas has dedicated his life to championing for immigration rights, including revealing himself as undocumented in a major The New York Times Magazine article in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he started Define American (@defineamerican), a media campaign that aims to shift the dialogue of what it means to be an American. Both Twitter handles offer fascinating stories, lively debate topics, and, perhaps, most importantly, a voice for those who are often afraid to speak out due to their undocumented status.