Last month, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist made headlines for announcing that he has been living in the United States illegally for almost 20 years.

26-year old Jose Vargas has worked for The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his work on a team covering the shootings at Virginia Tech.

The journalist told reporters that he was brought to the United States as a 12-year old and did not learn that he was living here illegally until the age of 16.

He stated, “I’m one of millions of undocumented people in this country who are living kind of under the shadows.  At the end of the day, I think we have to tell the truth about this immigration system.  And because of that, I had to tell the truth about myself.”

If you or someone you know is seeking legal representation to help them file an immigration petition, contact the Orange County immigration petition lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C. at 800-242-2151 to learn more about your rights to citizenship.

A series of marches and protests in downtown Los Angeles were held yesterday by people demanding immigration reform and full legalization.  Participants hope that reform will provide a path for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. to become U.S. citizens.  Some of the groups in attendance included the Southern California Immigration Coalition and Fulls Rights for Immigrants Coalition.

Protests and signs were targeted at Congress and President Obama.  In addition, many families said that they feel immigration reform is important to them because it could prevent families with American-born children from being separated.  ”There are many of us studying to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, and we want to be part of this society,” said one student.

If you or someone you love has questions about immigration petitions in Orange County, contact the Orange County immigration petition lawyers of Garg & Associates P.C. at 949-540-6704 to learn more about how we can help you.