CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : TIJUANA : Inquiry Urged in Acts Against Aliens

Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border underscores the need for independent civilian review of alleged abuses of immigrants by law enforcement agencies and racially motivated criminals, according to a group of activists who have been investigating the problem. The California Border Violence Delegation Project, a group of about 50 activists from throughout California, conducted a three-day inquiry into reports of abuse of Latinos in the border area. Many activists were particularly critical of the oversight of the Border Patrol, a uniformed arm of the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. “What is clear to me is that we need a better system of investigating shootings and other abuses by the INS,” said Vibiana Andrade of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.