Taking Refugees for a Ride : INS says sorry, and have a nice, long trip

The Immigration and Naturalization Service hasn’t had a sterling record in helping obtain asylum in the United States for politically persecuted Central Americans, especially those from El Salvador or Guatemala. It has done a better job in recent years, revising regulations and settling a class-action lawsuit that requires it to reconsider tens of thousands of asylum requests made over a decade. But a recent decision to move its Southern California regional asylum services office 55 miles south of the Los Angeles area, where most applicants live, raises questions about its commitment to change its ways.

The INS initially had tried to locate its newly reorganized asylum unit in Buena Park in central Orange County, which is at least a little more accessible, but lease negotiations fell through. It says it has nowhere else to go but to a Laguna Niguel federal building until a better location can be found. That could take the General Service Administration, which leases office space for federal agencies, from three to six months.

But even if the Laguna Niguel location is only temporary, getting there still will be a major hardship for many applicants. While it’s true the office serves applicants from a wide geographical area, most reside in the El Salvadoran and Guatemalan communities near downtown Los Angeles. Many rely on public transportation, and traveling to Laguna Niguel from Los Angeles will take them five transfers and a minimum of three hours each way.

The INS says it’s sorry about the inconvenience. To compensate, it is suspending its standard practice of closing a case if an applicant does not appear for a hearing, which would ordinarily make the person eligible for immediate deportation.

But more steps must be taken. Advocates for asylum applicants have suggested the INS open a temporary office in Los Angeles, or at least provide some case workers to operate out of space they would provide. These and other suggestions are more than reasonable.

Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, plans to question INS Commissioner Gene McNary on the subject at upcoming immigration subcommittee hearings.

In the meantime, it is not good enough for the INS merely to express regret about the inconvenience. It must find ways to make its services more accessible to those who need them most.