7 Women in Protest at INS Center Seized

Seven women, including four nuns, were arrested Wednesday after they chained themselves to the fence surrounding a refugee detention center in Hollywood.

The women were arrested outside the American Motel, 6705 DeLongpre Ave., Los Angeles police said. They were booked for investigation of obstructing the entrance of a public building, a misdemeanor, and freed pending a Municipal Court hearing Feb. 28.

Judy Vaughn, a spokeswoman for a group speaking for Women of Conscience, said the demonstrators were protesting the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s use of the motel as a detention center for illegal aliens seeking refugee status in the United States.

“We chose Abraham Lincoln’s birthday for our demonstration, because he stood for freedom for all people,” Vaughn said.

She said the women chained themselves to the fence and had vowed to stay there until the INS freed those held at the center.

“We are going back. We will continue until the United States accepts these people as refugees from nations at war, a war we are financing,” Vaughn said.

INS officials could not be reached for comment.