INS Plan on Grouping of Illegal Immigrants Is Assailed

The Immigration and Naturalization Service is being criticized over a plan to group illegal immigrants by nationality and ship them to jails in either Texas or Chicago to await deportation hearings.

Currently, illegal immigrants awaiting deportation are generally jailed in whatever part of the country they are arrested.

The INS said the “hub” plan would be a cost-effective and efficient way to process detainees, most of whom are simply awaiting exit papers.

Critics, however, said the proposal is racist and would demoralize immigrants, leaving them hundreds of miles from their families and any support services they would need if they choose to fight deportation.

“It’s almost like the INS has forgotten they’re people and not packages,” said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), chairman of the immigration task force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which has sent a letter of protest to INS Commissioner Doris Meissner. “It’s like Federal Express.”

The plan encompasses the 18 states in the agency’s central region. Illegal Mexican, Central American and Caribbean immigrants would be moved to separate facilities in Texas. All other immigrants in question--those from Europe, Asia and Africa--would be shipped to Chicago.

For example, an illegal immigrant from Honduras who is picked up in a workplace raid in Indiana would be sent to Dallas to await deportation or a hearing before an immigration judge.

Currently, such a case would be handled at the nearest INS office, with the immigrant most likely detained at a county jail that contracts with the INS.

The INS said the plan is open to revision, although officials would like to implement it this summer.

The agency said it is under pressure from Congress to quickly move immigrants out of detention and slash its backlog of cases. The agency noted that many detainees--there are about 4,300 in the central region--are convicted criminals who already have their deportation orders.