Alien Amnesty Helpers Say They’re Not Ready to Start : Throngs of Applicants Expected

As Tuesday’s start of the immigration legalization program nears, some church and social-service agencies, on whom the success of amnesty registration hinges, said they are not ready for the crowds of people expected to show up.

“It’s better to put it off,” said the Father Bill Jansen, pastor of Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in South-Central Los Angeles, where one of the Los Angeles archdiocese’s 11 amnesty processing centers is located. “There’s still a situation of panic in the community.”

The priest’s comments were echoed by other Los Angeles social-service agencies as they gear up for the landmark process in which as many as 4 million immigrants may apply for amnesty to remain in the United States. Some believe that the Los Angeles area could account for up to one-third of all amnesty applications.

Doubts About INS

The role of these agencies is crucial to the success of amnesty because as many as 75% of all applicants in the Southland may go to these centers, instead of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, for the initial processing.

“There’s a deep, deep distrust of the INS,” said one Eastside attorney, who asked that his name not be used. “The policeman of yesterday is going to be your buddy today, helping you with amnesty? Give me a break.”

Under the new immigration law, of which amnesty is a major provision, illegal immigrants can apply for legal resident status if they can show that they have lived in the United States since before Jan. 1, 1982. They have one year from Tuesday to apply.

Only 30 Days for Some

But those aliens captured by the INS since the law was signed--last Nov. 6--have only 30 days to sign up.

Some agencies have more practical reasons for wanting a delay in the start of the amnesty program--they are scrambling for new photocopying machines to handle all of the documents that will be required of the aliens.

Others, like St. Simon Episcopal Church in San Fernando, are worried they will be inundated by thousands of applicants. The church office on Hagar Street doesn’t have much furniture.

The Los Angeles archdiocese has been aggressive in the pre-registration process, signing up 287,000 aliens for amnesty, but church officials are hesitant to estimate how many will eventually come to the church processing centers, operated by Catholic Charities.

No Need for Rush

However, some INS officials believe that as many as 600,000 applications may be processed by the archdiocese.

Some activists, such as Juana Mojica at St. Simon, said they are cautioning calm and patience on Tuesday, saying that there is no need to rush in and sign up the first day.

The St. Simon center, for example, will be screening applicants immediately, but the first processed applications will not be forwarded to the INS until the second week of June, Mojica said.

“We don’t want to be the first in line (with the applications),” she said. “Our community still needs much information.”

Los Angeles is not the only place in the country where these centers are facing problems.

In Texas, for example, few agencies have agreed to help the tens of thousands of potential applicants who live along the Texas-Mexico border, complained Joe Murray, chairman of the North Texas Immigration Coalition.

And in Chicago, Roman Catholic Church officials were scrambling to ensure that they have enough Polish-language forms. Although Latinos make up 90% of the illegals in the metropolitan area, as many as 24,000 illegal aliens from Poland also are expected to sign up.