INS Rears Its Callous Head

The Immigration and Naturalization Service must be stopped dead in its tracks. In sweeps last Monday, Border Patrol agents riding in convoy along the Santa Ana Freeway raided farms, construction sites and nurseries in rounding up more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants. But they also callously chose to stray into downtown Santa Ana to hit public places like the Orange County Transit District bus terminal across from City Hall, local grocery stores, cars stopped at intersections and even buses in the street, stopping and boarding them.

In response to the wrath the raids have raised, INS officials contend that the sweeps were routine and legal. They were, in fact, nasty and foolish; they did, in fact, constitute a serious violation of civil liberties.

The INS claims it has the authority to board any conveyance it believes is transporting aliens and that it can go into any public place to perform its duties. But it is outrageous for the IRS to board local buses more than 100 miles from the border; it is scandalous for the immigration agents to snare people in their neighborhood markets.

These brutal tactics terrorize all Latinos, Americans and legal residents alike. Everyone must wonder whether he can prove his status. Even if you can, being caught in a sweep can mean hours of detention and questioning. That happened to one pregnant woman taken off an OCTD bus with her young child.

It’s not just the Latino community that is expressing its anger at INS tactics. Santa Ana City Manager Robert C. Bobb expressed his outrage at the INS sweeps, saying he was “appalled” by its actions. Last month, San Clemente Police Chief Bob McDonnell criticized the INS after a 16-year-old girl being pursued by Border Patrol agents died when her car crashed. There was another crash in Monday’s sweeps in San Juan Capistrano. Fortunately no one was reported injured.

How many more crashes, disruptive sweeps, and outraged residents and public officials will it take before the INS finally sees the wisdom of concentrating its enforcement efforts at the border--and in Congress, where legislation, policies and programs can be formulated to attack the problem at its source? The INS must not be allowed to repeat the degrading actions of last week.