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Daughter Fights To Keep Undocumented Father With DUI In The Country

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Potentially 11 million families are facing what the Vargas family is now facing, but their case is a little complicated.

Mario Vargas, an undocumented immigrant, faces deportation because he was convicted for drunk driving, and it caught the eye of the Justice Department. Before her father was scheduled to appear in court, 14-year-old Jersey Vargas told the media what she would say to try to persuade an immigration judge to let her dad stay in the United States.

"Please be fair with my family," Vargas said. "Please try to understand how we feel, as my parents are immigrants, they have suffered a lot and I have suffered a lot."

This is not the first time Jersey Vargas has asked for help in keeping her family together. In 2014, she asked the Pope in Rome for help in persuading President Barack Obama to let her dad stay in the United States.

On Thursday, Vargas was ordered to appear before an immigration judge. Vargas' attorney argues there was no collision or injuries in the DUI and Vargas hasn't been in any trouble since. More importantly, he has been providing for his wife and five children for the 17 years he has lived in the U.S.

His three youngest children are American citizens; the two oldest, including Jersey, are DACA kids (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), allowed to stay in the United States under the Obama Administration.

Another hearing for Vargas is set for next month.

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