Oregon INS Penalized After Strip-Search

Federal immigration inspectors in Oregon lost some of their authority Monday in the wake of a furor over the strip-search and jailing of a Chinese businesswoman.

Immigration and Naturalization Service Regional Director Johnny Williams also promised an immediate review of incidents involving Asian travelers detained at Portland International Airport.

Both Williams and Oregon INS Director David Beebe faced an angry group of elected officials who have called for Beebe’s resignation because of the treatment last week of 36-year-old Guo Liming. She was ordered to strip to her underwear and then jailed after inspectors incorrectly thought her passport might have been altered.

Politicians said the hourlong meeting was constructive. But they insisted that fixing problems at the airport must include Beebe’s dismissal.

Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) called the Oregon INS department a “rogue unit” and characterized the behavior of inspectors as “thuggish.”

Williams called the description too harsh but said he would implement some changes right away.

Portland INS inspectors must now get regional approval before detaining travelers or conducting strip-searches. Inspectors and supervisors also at the airport will get training in cultural sensitivity and communication skills.

Travelers rejected by INS inspectors in Portland have sometimes been jailed until a flight to their homeland became available.

Elected officials and business leaders, mostly from Oregon’s high-tech industry, worry that the incidents are an embarrassment for the city.