[Update 9:45 p.m. ET] - Turns out the New York Times only got the story after Jose Antonio Vargas' former employer, the Washington Post, turned it down. The Times, already set to go to print, "tore up the book" to get the story in, a Times blog post reports.
Jose Antonio Vargas has written many pieces that have put him in the spotlight - including ones on the Virginia Tech shooting that made him a Pulitzer Prize winner. But perhaps his biggest piece yet may be the one that could put him in the most precarious position - his New York Times Magazine piece in which he explains and documents his life as an illegal immigrant.
"I’m done running. I’m exhausted. I don’t want that life anymore," he writes in the personal essay. "So I’ve decided to come forward, own up to what I’ve done, and tell my story to the best of my recollection. I’ve reached out to former bosses and employers and apologized for misleading them — a mix of humiliation and liberation coming with each disclosure."
He acknowledges what happens now is up in the air - he could end up being deported.
"I don’t know what the consequences will be of telling my story," he writes.
The article has sparked a discussion online about the decision for someone to come forward so publicly and say they were an illegal immigrant.
"We were delighted to run the piece, which we believe is an extremely provocative and well-written piece of journalism," a spokeswoman for the New York Times told CNN.
Vargas is telling his story as he ramps up an effort with the advocacy group he founded called Define American, which says "It's time to have a real conversation about immigration in our country."
And perhaps there is no way more real to begin that conversation than with Vargas detailing his own story and struggles along the way.
Vargas, who came from the Philippines when he was 12-years-old, has spent most of his life flying under the radar: Using false documents and Social Security numbers to try to make it by. He even once gave the Secret Service an illegally obtained Social Security number so he could attend a White House dinner.
Though he may be a Pulitzer Prize winner, his tale is similar to that of illegal immigrants of every stature in this country, one of living in fear of being found out at any time.
Tough new state immigration laws are striking fear in the hearts of illegal immigrants with American-born children.
“I worry about my children,” says one father of two young kids in Carrollton, Georgia. He didn't want to give his name, because he has no legal right to reside in the United States. “My kids were born here. What will happen with them? We don’t know, and that’s the fear we have.”
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed a "tough illegal immigration law" Thursday morning, his press office said.
The bill is considered by both supporters and critics to be among the toughest in the nation, even stricter than controversial laws in Arizona and Georgia.
Under the new law, public schools will be required to determine the citizenship and immigration status of enrolling students through sworn affidavits or birth certificates.
Authorities will also be required to detain a person who they believe is in the country illegally if the person cannot produce proof of residency when stopped "for any reason."
Alabama businesses will be required to use a database called E-Verify to look up the immigration status of new employees. The use of the database was recently endorsed after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a separate Arizona immigration law.
It will be illegal for Alabama residents to knowingly give a ride or transport an illegal immigrant or for a landlord to knowingly rent a property to an illegal immigrant.
Cecillia Wang, managing attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's immigrants rights project, called the bill "outrageous and blatantly unconstitutional" in an interview with The New York Times before Bentley signed it.
Huntsville Times editorial: A law, mostly for Hispanics
FULL STORYThe State Department has apologized for a computer glitch that invalidated results for thousands who thought they were chosen in the most recent green card visa lottery.
Millions of people worldwide apply for the 50,000 permanent resident visas issued a year to relocate to the U.S.
A computer randomly picks would-be immigrants who then undergo interviews, background checks and medical exams before visas can be issued.
"Due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 diversity lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided," the State Department said in a statement Friday. "We regret any inconvenience this might have caused."
GM jobs: General Motors will announce Tuesday a plan to add or preserve 4,200 jobs, the Detroit Free Press reports, citing "people familiar with the planning."
Up to 2,000 of the jobs will be in the metro Detroit area, the paper reported, with many of those going to the plant that produces the Chevy Volt, GM's extended range electric car.
GM is now planning on building 25,000 Volts this year, up from an earlier estimate of 10,000, the Free Press reported. It is considering building 120,000 Volts a year beginning in 2012, the paper said.
Immigration speech: President Barack Obama heads to El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday to give a speech on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president's speech is likely to highlight border security improvements and the economic costs stemming from a failure to change course. And senior administration officials said the speech will kick off a campaign-style effort to rally support for an overhaul.
Obama wants to create "a sense of urgency around the country that matches his sense of urgency," one administration official said.
Mississippi River flooding: The Mississippi River level stood at 47.8 feet in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday evening and is expected to crest at 48 feet today, forecasters said.
The Mississippi is the highest it's been at Memphis since 1937, when it crested at 48.7 feet – 14.7 feet above flood stage. That flood killed 500 people and inundated 20 million acres of land, said Col. Vernie Reichling, the Army Corps of Engineers' Memphis District commander.
Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on reaction and fallout to the death of Osama bin Laden.
Today's programming highlights...
8:30 am ET - Casey Anthony trial - Jury selection continues in the trial of the Florida woman accused of killing her young daughter.
With the first 2012 presidential primaries and caucuses less than nine months away, three issues are stoking political fires this week: immigration, abortion and presidential birthplaces.
Immigration and abortion have long been front and center in political debate, but the "birther" issue emerged in the 2008 election, as opponents of President Barack Obama questioned whether he was born in Hawaii. The Constitution stipulates that a president must be a U.S. citizen by birth.
Stoking that debate, Arizona's Legislature on Thursday night passed a bill requiring presidential candidates to prove they meet the birth requirement before their names can be placed on the state's ballot. Thursday's vote was 40-16 in the state House. The bill goes to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer for her signature.
The "birther" allegations against Obama have been repeatedly discredited in investigations by CNN and other organizations.
The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.
Eagle ray pins woman in boat: An eagle ray weighing as much as 300 pounds landed on top of a woman on a boat in the Florida Keys last week, throwing her to the deck and pinning her underneath it.
Pilot finds hole in plane's fuselage: FBI investigators were working Tuesday to discover what caused a small hole in the body of a US Airways jet.
Girl, denied access to U.S., will try again: A 4-year-old U.S. citizen who was unable to enter the country this month because of a possible communications mix-up is expected to attempt the journey again on Wednesday, according to her lawyer.
American students a no-show in Acapulco: Folk musician Raymundo Oregon knows Acapulco's seasons and the tourists. He's seen the good times and the bad, and this is definitely a low point for his beloved coastal city.
Explosions in Tripoli, 'carnage' in Misrata: Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi went on the attack Tuesday, pushing opposition fighters back to the outskirts of a key oil town, rebels said.
Libya – Forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi blocked the westward advance of rebels, who have been aided by air power provided by the U.S., NATO and their allies. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet in London today with other world leaders to try to strengthen the coalition's efforts.
Meanwhile in Washington, politicians and pundits are parsing President Obama's speech Monday night, in which he explained the reasoning behind and scope of U.S. involvement in the Libyan conflict.
Syria – Thousands of demonstrators marched in Amman in support of President Bashar al-Assad, who has been the target of protests. Confrontations between anti-government protesters and police have been bloody at times; at least 37 people have been killed since last week, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Security forces flooded the restive cities of Daraa and Latakia on Monday, patrolling the streets, protecting government buildings and in at least one case clashing with protesters, according to witnesses..
Japan – Engineers and workers are carrying out a dangerous balancing act as they try to cool the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor with water, but not so much water that it spills over, presenting an additional hazard. Radioactive isotopes from the damaged reactor are being detected in more places in the United States, though the Environmental Protection Agency says they pose no threat to human health. A Senate committee will hold a hearing today to gather information on the accident in Japan.
Wal-Mart – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a huge sex-discrimination lawsuit brought by female workers against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest retailer. The arguments will not be on the merits of the case, but on whether to allow as many as 1.6 million potential plaintiffs to join a single lawsuit. Billions of dollars and many thousands of career paths are at stake.
Immigration – Emily Ruiz, a 4-year-old U.S. citizen, was denied entry to the United States on March 11 when she returned with her grandfather to Dulles International Airport near Washington after an extended stay in Guatemala. The girl's parents are undocumented workers in New York; her grandfather had an old immigration violation, which prompted border agents to send him and the girl back to Guatemala. Emily will try to enter through New York today, a lawyer for the family says.
Immigration enforcement in the United States is plagued by inhumane treatment of detainees, inadequate legal representation and the increasing use of detention as a necessity rather than an alternative, an international human rights group said in a report released Thursday.
The 155-page report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is the most comprehensive review by an international organization of American immigration policy since the Department of Homeland Security took over enforcement responsibilities from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in 2002, leading to the creation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The IACHR is convinced that detention is a disproportionate measure in many if not most cases, and that programs that provide for alternatives to detention would be a more balanced means to serve the State's legitimate interest in ensuring compliance with immigration laws," the report says.
In cases where detention is necessary, the commission found a lack of conditions "commensurate with human dignity and humane treatment." The report also noted that detainees face obstacles to due process, mainly the right to an attorney, especially in cases involving unaccompanied children, immigrants with mental disabilities and others unable to represent themselves.
The report, which focuses on ICE's civil immigrations operations, also criticizes the multiple partnerships between local and state entities to enforce civil immigration laws.
A suspect in the shooting death of a U.S. immigration agent in Mexico was detained by the Mexican military Wednesday, the country's Defense Ministry said.
[Updated at 8:14 p.m.] One of two American immigration and customs officers who were shot in Mexico on Tuesday has died, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
The two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents were shot while driving between Monterrey and Mexico City on Tuesday afternoon by unidentified gunmen, U.S. officials said.
"One agent was critically wounded in this attack and died from his injuries. The second agent was shot in the arm and leg and remains in stable condition," DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a written statement.
FULL STORY
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she has "no other choice" than to sue the federal government for what she calls Washington's failure to secure her state's border and enforce immigration laws.
Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who is taking the lead on the countersuit, announced the state's plans Thursday outside a federal court in Phoenix. Arizona's move is an attempt to strike back at the Obama administration for a lawsuit blocking parts of a controversial law Brewer signed in April. It authorized police to identify and help deport those suspected of being in the country illegally. The measure sparked protests in Arizona and around the country.
"(Arizona) did not want this fight," Brewer said. "But now that we are in it, Arizona will not rest until our border is secured."
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler called Arizona's court claim a "meritless" one that "does nothing to secure the border."
"Smart strategies, dedicated law enforcement personnel and strategic partnerships with state, local and tribal governments and agencies do," Chandler said. "Not only do actions like this ignore all of the statistical evidence, they also belittle the significant progress that our men and women in uniform have made to protect this border and the people who live alongside it."
While vocal opponents of the immigration law continued to chant and wave banners, Horne detailed the five-count suit that included claims the federal government failed to protect Arizona's borders from the "invasion of illegal aliens" and costs associated with "jailing criminal immigrants."
Brewer has promised only private funds will pay for the suit and launched www.KeepAZsafe.com to collect donations.
Fighting to hold back tears, Brewer thanked supporters, who she noted had offered prayers amidst personal attacks she said she has endured. But she bounced back, saying, "If you know one thing about Jan Brewer, you know that I’m not a quitter. Arizona is doing its duty."
FULL STORY
Riot police in Athens, Greece, late Thursday surrounded a law school where 237 immigrants are waging a hunger strike, according to a Greek newspaper.
The protesters, who arrived this week from the Greek island of Crete, are demanding residence permits, Kathimerini reported, and the police arrived after failed attempts to move the protesters to another building in central Athens.
Five prosecutors are on standby in case police need to enter the building, the newspaper said.
Athens University’s Law School and the government have been at odds over whose responsibility it was to handle the demonstrators. The prosecutor’s office for the appeals court announced an inquiry into whether the university failed to take action to prevent the immigrants from occupying the building.
The Athens News Agency explained that under Greek law, university campuses are off-limits to police unless they have been invited or a serious crime has been committed. Greece’s majority party says leftists have abused the law and are using the immigrants as political pawns.
What leads to extreme speech? How do rational people become inflamed by issues?
In part two of our series on the subject, CNN Radio's Lisa Desjardins spoke to anti-illegal immigrant crusader Al Garza who has been called a racist despite his own Mexican-American background.
At the same time, he himself has also told those who oppose U.S. immigration policy to "go back to Mexico." And he doesn't believe there's any chance for dialogue with his philosophical opponents.
"I've tried this," he said, "They don't stand for reason." Desjardins interrupted his thought, pointing out, "but, they say that about you."
"There is no debate," he responded, "They're not right... if they're here illegally, how can anyone say in their right mind that this is open for debate when they've broken the law."
We look at conviction and the sense of justice in the second piece in this series on rhetoric in the U.S. and whether ugly words are making our conversations explosives.
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The U.S. Senate failed Saturday morning to halt debate and move to a vote on the DREAM Act, which would create a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who entered the country as children.
Supporters could not rally the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture, which would conclude debate on the matter so it could proceed to a vote for or against passage. The vote on the cloture motion was 55-41.
Read CNN's coverage of the DREAM Act debate
Cinema buffs across the nation are thankful the Mexican thespian was never deported.
The 44-year-old Hayek (yes, she’s 44) said in a recent interview, without much elaboration, that she was once an illegal immigrant. She made the statement to Spain’s V magazine, which featured her on the cover with its logo rising out of her cleavage.
In the article, titled “Armas de Mujer,” or “A Woman’s Weapons,” Hayek said she was illegally in the U.S. “for a small period of time, but I still did it."
E! News reported that Hayek moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to study acting after a previous stint attending the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans. Her rep told the website that the actress returned to Mexico and immediately cleared up the immigration issue.
One of just a few Latinas to be nominated for the best actress Oscar, Hayek also told V it was difficult fighting Hollywood’s discrimination when she first came on the scene.
“It was inconceivable to American directors and producers that a Mexican woman could have a lead role,” she told V, according to Fox News Latino.
In addition to her roles in “Frida” and “From Dusk Till Dawn,” Hayek is also known for her advocacy on behalf of women and of undocumented workers.
Her remarks were made public as the U.S. House on Wednesday approved the DREAM Act, which paves a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. when they were children. Observers say it’s uncertain whether the bill can navigate the Senate.
Students Cesar Vargas and Gaby Pacheco, both illegal immigrants supporting the DREAM Act talk to American Morning’s Kiran Chetry about why they think Congress should pass the act granting a legal path to citizenship for kids who entered the country illegally.
The act would grant citizenship to those who attend college or serve in the military.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin shows off his new pup.
Putin's puppy
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is asking Russians' help in naming his new puppy.
The dog was a gift from Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in celebration of an agreement to build a gas pipeline between the two countries.
The Bulgarian shepherd has a Bulgarian name, Yorgo, but Putin wants to give it a Russian moniker, the Sofia news agency Novinite.com says.
Widely circulated photos of Putin nuzzling the fuzzy puppy could soften the ex-KGB agent's judo-wrestling, tough-guy image, for whatever reason, the Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada, noted.
"Russia's man of deeds hugged it affectionately and kissed it on the nose," the official RIA news agency dutifully reported.
The California Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that illegal immigrants may continue to receive in-state tuition at California colleges and Universities.
The decision overturns a lower court ruling.
In their ruling, the state court said California law specifically guarantees in-state tuition, a lower price, for students attending local schools for at least three years.
In their ruling, the court said that state law does not conflict with federal prohibitions for educational benefits for illegal immigrants ased on residency.
This story is developing. We'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.
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