Priests Protest Recent Raids on Immigrants

Alarmed at recent immigration raids, Roman Catholic priests representing 20 Eastside parishes called on the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service on Tuesday to cease such operations in the Los Angeles area.

“It would be an unfortunate and very serious mistake to re-create the fear from a previous generation when INS buses would wait outside of churches for the Mass to finish in order to make their roundup,” the priests said in a statement to be sent to INS Commissioner Doris Meissner in Washington.

The clergymen sought to raise their “strongest objection” to two INS raids last week--at a pair of Eastside sewing shops and at the site of a mobile, county-run clinic in a City of Industry parking lot.

“It is unthinkable that people are going to be intimidated from getting medical treatment for infectious diseases,” the priests stated.

Richard K. Rogers, INS district director in Los Angeles, reiterated that the clinic’s proximity was coincidental to the enforcement action at a day-laborer gathering place.

However, Rogers stressed that an INS priority this year is to use congressionally approved staff increases to bolster enforcement at garment manufacturers and other employer firms that hire illegal immigrants.

While such “surveys” target owners and operators, Rogers noted that agents routinely check employees’ papers as well and arrest any suspected illegal immigrants.