The Region - News from March 2, 1986
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Accusations by sanctuary movement leaders that U.S. immigration officials were behind a series of church burglaries in Pico Rivera have proven false and were “a deliberate attempt to mislead the public,” said Harold Ezell, Western regional commissioner for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Ezell made the comments after the arrest of Richard Madrid, 20, who confessed to burglarizing four sanctuary churches. Ezell said that sanctuary leaders had no hard evidence but still accused the federal government, particularly the INS, of breaking into the churches seeking information about the movement. “I think this arrest clearly shows that the sanctuary leaders purposely contrived to malign the personnel and motives of INS,” Ezell said.
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