Breitbart News has learned that one of the witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on immigration next week will be outspoken illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas–who will be seated at the same table as Chris Crane, leader of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement employees’ union that is suing the government over Obama administration rules that make it very difficult for ICE agents to arrest illegal immigrants.
Vargas, who works as a journalist, arrived in the U.S. from the Philippines at the age of 12, but is not eligible for the administration’s new guidelines because of his age. He will be speaking for his advocacy organization, Define American. Other witnesses include Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza (“The Race”); high-tech pioneer Steve Case; and Jessica Vaughn of the Center for Immigration Studies.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will also be speaking before the committee. She is named as a defendant in the suit that Crane’s union has brought. Last year, ICE agents questioned Vargas, following his arrest by the Minnesota State Patrol, when he presented officers with an invalid driver’s license. Ultimately, no charges were filed against Vargas, despite his status and apparent violations.
Last year, President Barack Obama introduced new guidelines to stay the deportation of “Dreamers,” those brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The president’s action circumvented Congress, which had refused to pass the “Dream Act” to grant legal status to those who completed high school or committed to military service. ICE agents have since been frustrated with what they allege are reduced enforcement powers.
Photo credit: Campus Progress
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