Friday, January 24, 1986/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local I Program cracks down on fraud sun > an Aliens getting public aid being targeted Associated Press EL PASO — A new program tar geting alien commuters who collect public aid is expected to save thou sands of dollars to agencies in Texas jnd New Mexico, immigration offi cials said Thursday. There are about 7,000 people ho are legal United States residents but who live in Juarez, Mexico, and commute daily to the El Paso area to work or attend school, said A1 uigni, district director for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. It is illegal for them to benefit From public assistance programs, uch as food stamps or Social Secu rity. Operation Mail Drop, a pilot project started in this border city last week, aims to identify them, said Guigni. “11 people are residing out of the country by their own cnoice, then they give up the right to some bene fits,” said C. W. Thompson, a special agent of investigations with the INS. Operation Mail Drop, so called because offenders often give agen cies an address in the United States at which they don’t reside, is part of a nationwide INS program called Systematic Alien Verification for En titlements, or SAVE. SAVE and its offshoots are de- Guigni said. That’s the amount a foreign student would pay for public elementary and secondary education in this district. “On Friday we met with city, county and state officials to advise them that we would provide them with names of commuter aliens,” Guigni said. During a two-week period in July, “If people are residing out of the country by their own choice, then they give up the right to some benefits. ” — C. W. Thompson, special agent of investigations with the INS. signed to identify fraud of benefit programs by aliens. For example, U.S. residents must be educated free of charge at public schools. But a commuter alien would have to pay about $285 a month tu ition to the El Paso school district. INS officials identified food stamp fraud by commuter aliens in El Paso that translated into $40,000 in bene fits over a one-year period, Thomp son said. “The average recipient was get ting about $200 a month in bene fits,” Thompson said. “We’re examining the commuter group because we have some kind of control over them,” he said. “They have to register with us every six months.” In the July investigation, INS offi cials identified one commuter alien who was using two names and social security numbers to obtain benefits from three agencies. “There’s also double-dipping,” Thompson said. “That’s when they get the same benefits from agencies in New Mexico and in Texas.” Thompson estimates that 2 per cent of commuter aliens in El Paso are commiting some kind of benefit fraud. “But I wouldn’t that figure were Thompson said. be surprised if 6-8 percent,” CS Council OKs permit in spite of liquor low By CRAIG RENFRO Staff Writer The College Station City Coun cil Thursday night overrode a city ordinance and approved the ap plication to sell alcoholic bever ages within 300 feet of a religious institution. John J. Loffarelli, representing Emilio’s Pizza at 317 Patricia St., received the 5-2 decision for ap proval after several minutes of deliberation by the council. The application now has to go before the Texas Alcoholic Bev erage Commission to receive complete licensing. Emilio’s Pizza is located 210 feet from A&M Methodist Church and according to a city ordinance effective June, 1983, falls 90 feet short of the required distance to sell alcohol. Mayor Gary Halter said al though it is in violation of the or dinance, each case must be looked at separately. “If it were going to be a bat- that’s one thing, but since it’s a restaurant and many people en joy drinking with their meal, I think we should consider the na ture of the area (Northgate) be fore making a decision,” Halter said. ; Councilman James Bond sai& if the application was allowed this could open the gates for more businesses to ask for a license. “I fear once you do it we will open the opportunity for anyone and the next thing you know White’s Auto will want to have a beer garden,” Bond said. In other action Halter pro claimed the week of Feb. 3-7 as “Exceptional Children’s Week” in College Station and the week of Feb. 10-16 as “National Vocatio nal Education Week” and “Natio nal Office Education Association Week.” Construction worker survives being buried in trench for 2 hours Associated Press DALLAS — A construction worker was buried for two hours Thursday when a south Dallas city ewer trench caved in trapping him in the 15-foot pit. Rescuers from a nearby fire sta- ;ion revived the man with oxygen ars ago is that hist up of ta man ski on dofl: ss. rere elst long as Texans n'ernor Klux H around joum The U while they dug with their hands and shovels to free him from the trench. Firefighters pulled him from the muddy clay by strapping him to a rescue jacket and hoisting him by rope from the trench. A hospital spokeswoman at Meth odist Medical Center identified the man as Estaben Yemen, 18, and said he was in good condition. But a spokeswoman for Holt and Son Contracters, the man’s employers, identified him as Estaben Tiscarino. Firefighter Robert Camplen said the man was without air for about four minutes and was “within two minutes” of death when rescuers cleared away enough dirt to uncover the man’s head and revive him with an oxygen mask. “It makes me feel pretty good when you save one like that,” said firefighter Robert Verver, one of the first rescuers to reach the worker from a fire station about a block away. Officials said the man was trapped shortly after 8 a.m. as he retrieved a shovel from the hole where the com pany had been contracted to replace an 8-inch sanitary sewer. Rescuers had to use shovels and their bare hands because backhoes m Wim IMiSi I musts fan. His ackvvard live. Tlii gained n came : 3 DAYS ONLY! FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY! *ditori» ls,i v effort <°' . theadd^ ..LorenS^ ...Terry th ieA . n ij$ .Travis ity ser^ 11 .or^nddo^ Hegeius- Uing^P 1 * rsewefO' 1 $33.M P cr :, y College i CLEARANCE Intermediate markdowns may have been taken. Sale limited to stock on hand. Selections may vary by store. AT THE HEARTOF TEXAS Wt could not be safely used, Camplen said. The cave-in is the second to occur in a Dallas area project in little more than a week. A man, 27, was killed Jan. 13 when an earthen trench wall collapsed. Both projects were rou tinely inspected by city officials. CHIMNEY HILL BOWLING CENTER ~ 40 LANES League & Open Bowling Family Entertainment Bar & Snack Bar 701 University Dr E 260-9184 PIZZA Free Delivery 846-TAMU 846-8268