INS ‘Puzzled’ : 9 Romanians Ask Asylum but They Already Have It

Nine Romanians visiting the U.S Capitol, apparently members of the same family, today asked police officers for asylum in the United States--but an immigration official said they already live in the country legally.

Seven of the Romanians, who at mid-morning approached a Capitol policeman outside the building’s East Front, were being questioned by officers with the aid of several congressional staff members attempting to act as interpreters, said the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms, Ernest E. Garcia.

“They speak very little English, and we speak very little Romanian, so we are having a difficult time,” Garcia said.

4 Boys, 3 Adults

The group, who arrived by taxi, had about 20 pieces of luggage, including several large suitcases held together with string.

The seven, who approached officers in a cruiser on the northern edge of the Capitol grounds, consisted of four boys aged 12 to 18, a man who appeared to be their father and an elderly couple who were apparently their grandparents, Garcia said.

Two hours later, a boy about 7 years old and a young man turned themselves over to Capitol police outside the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol, said Melinda W. Baskin, a special assistant to Garcia. Baskin said the two appeared to be related to the seven who were already being questioned by police.

“They’re asking for temporary asylum,” Garcia said. “We are in contact with the Department of State to determine if we have a legitimate case for asylum. The department will make a determination shortly, and if there is a legitimate case, we will turn them over to the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. If not, we will release them to go their way.”

But Duke Austin, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, said later that the Romanians legally entered the United States through Los Angeles as refugees in 1982.

‘No Need to Ask’

“We don’t totally understand what their intentions are,” Austin said. “They were granted the right to be residents of the United States indefinitely. There is certainly no need to ask for asylum when you already have it.”

Ernest Garcia, Senate sergeant-at-arms, said the Romanians presented a letter to Capitol police saying their health was threatened by radiation. Garcia said he had no further details about their claim.