Oscar Margain

Oscar Margain is a multilingual, multimedia journalist whose stories have taken him from the U.S.-Mexico border to China and back.

Margain returned state-side after two years in China working as a multimedia editor for China Media Group, where he helped vet and polish news stories slated for online publishing in the network’s New Media department. He also reported on a variety of cultural and social issues and hosted multiple social media livestreams from across the country.

During his time in China, Margain also freelanced as an international correspondent for Univision, filing stories in Spanish from Beijing on the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent pandemic.

Prior to his stint in Asia, he spent the first seven years of his journalism career at the Texas-Mexico border covering major stories of national and international interest, including the immigration crisis, border security, the drug war and U.S.-Mexico trade issues.

In 2016, Margain joined TEGNA Media as a southwest border correspondent based out of the KENS 5 San Antonio station in Texas, contributing to the company’s 50-plus news affiliates.

His formative years were in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he worked as a bilingual TV reporter and anchor for the local Fox and Univision stations, as well as a multimedia reporter for the Telemundo affiliate in McAllen, Texas, from 2013 to 2016. He started his journalism career with a brief role as a photojournalist in 2011 at KRGV-ABC in Weslaco, Texas.

His work at the U.S.-Mexico border has earned him multiple awards including four regional Emmys, two Texas Associated Press awards, two Houston Press Club awards, and a regional Edward R. Murrow. Margain has also been recognized by the New England Emmy chapter for his reporting with nominations in 2022 and 2023.

Margain graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and in French language studies, with a focus in global security and Spanish.

The Monterrey, Mexico, native is now based in New England as a general-assignment reporter for Boston’s NBC, NECN and Telemundo networks.

The Latest

Immigration May 16

ICE agents swarm Lowell gas station, round up workers from vans

A SWAT team was called in alongside ICE and DEA agents, surrounding vans belonging to a roofing company as workers were lined up against a wall

Immigration May 16

Man detained by ICE after car window smashed in Mass. released after a month

An immigrant taken into custody when ICE agents smashed his car’s window in New Bedford, Massachusetts, last month was released from custody on Thursday.

Immigration May 15

Mass. sheriff to ICE and public: ‘Everybody just needs to take a step back'

After a series of ICE encounters in Massachusetts, Essex County Sheriff Kevin Koppinger is urging all parties to show restraint

Immigration May 14

‘Fear' and ‘anger': Teen records ICE agents smashing van window in Waltham

Two men were detained by federal immigration agents after one broke the window of a van Tuesday, the latest such incident in Massachusetts

Rumeysa Ozturk May 12

Rumeysa Ozturk shares concern for hundreds of women still in ICE custody in Louisiana

The Tufts University graduate student, who is back in Massachusetts six weeks after being detained by federal agents in Somerville, highlighted the roughly 900 women detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center without the same legal resources and community support