Ezell Urges ‘Welcome to INS’ Attitude in Amnesty Program

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service faces “a brand new day” of serving millions of illegal aliens who will soon be applying for legal residence, Western Regional Commissioner Harold Ezell said Friday to supervisors who will run local amnesty centers.

“I do not want to hear, folks, reports from any of the 36 offices of this region that the people are afraid to come in because of the attitude of the service personnel,” Ezell told graduates of a training course at a hotel.

“If your attitude is one of the past that says, ‘I don’t like this legalization law, therefore I’m not going to really support it,’ then folks, that will filter out from you to the people that work for you,” Ezell declared. “What I’m looking for is people who are saying, ‘I’ll do my best to see if you will be able to qualify within the guidelines of the law.’ ”

End of 2-Week Course

Friday’s event marked the end of a two-week course during which the two top managers of each office in the region were introduced to the new immigration law and the computer equipment that will be used to process applications.

About half of the managers are permanent INS employees, and the rest are former employees hired out of retirement. Most lower-level workers will not have agency backgrounds, according to INS officials.

The special offices are to open nationwide May 5. But Ezell said in his speech that some offices in the Western region--which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam--may open May 4.

Ezell pointed out that during the first weeks of the program, the only thing illegal aliens can do at amnesty offices is pick up applications or drop off completed forms. Most applicants are expected to file by mail to addresses that will be announced next week, he added. Applicants will later receive interview appointments by mail.

In his speech, Ezell stressed that he wants the people in charge of each office to create an “environment of peace, not hostility--of ‘Welcome to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.’ ”

Ezell’s emphasis on providing courteous service to illegal aliens comes against a background of various immigrant rights organizations continuing to criticize the INS and its proposed regulations.

At a Los Angeles news conference Thursday, a group of masked women activists told reporters that the proposed regulations discriminate unfairly against women and children.

Margaret Prescod, spokeswoman for the Women Count Implementation Committee, said the masks were worn to protect the identity of “those most vulnerable” to the law.

The tentative regulations outline a number of hurdles that an estimated 2 million to 4 million applicants will face. Prescod said these hurdles will be especially difficult for women and children to clear.

She singled out for criticism a regulation that applicants can be disqualified if they have received “public cash assistance” in the past and appear likely to become a public charge. Prescod said women attempting to raise a family without spousal support are unfairly vulnerable to it.

Because women tend to earn less than men, she said, it will be more difficult for women to raise the fees for amnesty applications, which are $185 for adults, $50 for children and up to $420 for a family.

Among those joining Prescod at the news conference were representatives of International Black Women for Wages for Housework, the Adelante refugee center and the Guatemala Information Center.