‘Dreamer’ busted after press meet
Federal agents reportedly arrested a 22-year-old illegal-immigrant “Dreamer” moments after she gave a speech detailing her fears of deportation at a news conference in Mississippi on Wednesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swooped in and cuffed Daniela Vargas, who had been granted a deportation reprieve under President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
She was reportedly allowed to stay in the country under DACA because she was a minor when she came to the United States from Argentina at age 7. Vargas and fellow “Dreamers” must reapply for DACA every two years.
Vargas’ exemption expired, but she was in the process of renewing, the Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi reported. She is currently being held, and a judge will determine if she must return to Argentina.
ICE spokesman Thomas Byrd told BuzzFeed the arrest was part of a “targeted action” because Vargas’ status had lapsed, adding that “ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately.”
Meanwhile, President Trump revealed the conditions under which he could support immigration reform, which would be a remarkable policy shift.
There was a little-noticed line in his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
“I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible,” Trump said, indicating he could be game for some plan that would be less severe toward illegal immigrants than what his prior rhetoric has suggested.
But, he insisted, “goals” would have to be met before discussions of immigration reform could be enacted: “To improve jobs and wages for Americans; to strengthen our nation’s security; and to restore respect for our laws.”
On Wednesday, the White House postponed a planned executive-order signing that would have instituted a revised version of Trump’s controversial travel ban. His first, which temporarily blocked travel to the United States by citizens of seven mostly Muslim countries, was blocked by the federal courts.
White House officials are still debating the particulars of the updated measure. Reports indicate there is a rift over whether to exclude Iraq in the latest iteration, as some officials are arguing that the nation the US invaded last decade has been instrumental in helping defeat terrorism.