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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1987)
Thursday, April 23, 1987AThe Battalion/Page 3 State and Local Official: New immigration law not without flaws, but workable Experts analyze potential effects of U.S.-Mexico policy Photo by Doug LaRue Dr. Jorge Bustamante (left), speaks with Jose Juarez and Ronald Parra at a press conference Wednesday. By Robert Morris Staff Writer With the passage of the new immigration bill, the United States officially laid out the “Not Welcome” mat between the Texas-Mexico border. I On Nov. 6, 1986, it became ille gal for U.S. businessmen to hire people without proof of employ ment eligibility — meaning illegal aliens. This law and its political, social and cultural ramifications were the topic of discussion in a pre sentation sponsored by the MSG Committee For the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture and Political Forum. Ronald Parra, district director I of the Houston District Office of the Immigration and Naturaliza tion Service, lectured about the meaning of the law and its penal ties, and compliance. Dr. Jorge Bustamante, director of National University’s Center for Border Studies of Northern Mexico presented the Mexican view of the law, including an anal ysis of its causes and effects. Undocumented immigration I from Mexico is a very old phe- | nomenon, Bustamante said. The phenomenon of immigra- I tion from Mexico to the United I States stems from the labor de- I mand of the United States on a I foreign labor force, he said. “The demand is as real as the I supply,” Bustamante said. “It is I what shapes the phenomenon of I undocumented immigration. “This concept leads to a very I important notion of the nature of I the phenomenon, which is that I we are talking about a bilateral I phenomenon by definition,” he I said. “We are talking about a phe- I nomenon that was produced by I an interaction of factors, some in I the U.S. and some in Mexico.” I In periods of economic expan sion, the United States has been very aggressive in efforts to at tract that labor force from Mex ico, he said. But the economic crisis of un employment has caused the cur rent approach of the United States — an approach that will, once again, be of little use once economic expansion begins anew, Bustamante said. The immigration law has seve ral different levels. Parra said, “Any employer who hires an employee after that date must verify two key points: the person who is going to be em ployed must provide proof of identity and proof of employ ment eligibility.” There are very compelling ad ministrative fines and sentences to back up those two basic re quirements, he said. “There is no liability factor on the part of the employer for any employee who was on payroll prior to Nov. 6, 1986,” Parra said. “However, that does not relieve the employee from any further encounter wih immigration.” On June 1, 1987, the civil por tion of employee sanctions goes into effect. “And that carries sev eral penalties in the way of fines,” he said. Those fines can range from $250 for the first offense to $10,000 for the third. On June 1, 1988, the law will turn to criminal provisions as a deterrent, including a $3,000 fine per alien and/or six months in prison, Parra said. However, in Houston, the INS is predicting 95-percent compli ance with the new law. “The key, I think, in Houston and hopefully throughout the rest of the country, is that this law will be done in partnership with the community to make the tran sition as smooth as possible,”- Parra said. “The key, I think, in Houston and hopefully through out the rest of the country, is that this law will be done in partnership with the community to make the tran sition as smooth as possible. ” — Ronald Parra of Houston Office of INS Wiatt: Car-theft ring could be targeting sports cars at A&M By Curtis Culberson Staff Writer Texas A&M students who drive Trans Ams, Camaros and other pop ular sports cars may find themselves the victims of speed and perfor mance — the speed and perfor mance of car thieves. Four late-model sports cars have been stolen, and thieves have at tempted to steal another from the Commons area parking lot using a “slam-hammer” device. Director of University Police Bob Wiatt on Tuesday said, “The thieves put a slam hammer on the locks of the door, then they used it again on the ignitions and hot-wired the cars. They were in and out of there in less than a minute.” Two Chevrolet Camaros, a 1983 and a 1986, were stolen April 1 from the Commons lot. Someone broke the steering column of a 1982 Cam- aro Z-28 while attempting to steal it. Also, a 1986 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was stolen April 14, and another Trans Am was stolen April 16 from the same lot. The stolen Camaros and one of the Trans Ams were found stripped in Waller County. “The interior of the cars were stripped clean — seats, stereos and any other accessories were remov ed,” Wiatt said. But there may not be a lot stu dents can do to prevent their cars from being taken. Wiatt said a slam hammer plucks the locks right off doors, allowing a thief to get into a car before an officer or anyone else notices any suspicious activity. The odds are probably against the student who drives a late-model car with a popular body style, Wiatt said. “The stolen cars had similar body styles — unfortunately, they are popular body styles — and the thieves probably have found a mar ket for their parts in Houston,” he said. He theorizes that thefts are a “gang endeavor” and part of a stolen auto parts operation. “There is a heavy demand in the Houston area for parts and accesso ries of these types of c^rs,” Wiatt said. “The thieves have probably found a fence who passes the items along to buyers.” About a year ago, UPD cracked a similar car-theft ring. Five illegal aliens were arrested for stealing 20 cars. Officers found out through sta keouts that three or more of the car thieves would steal a car in Houston and then drive it to College Station where they would split up, steal two or more cars and meet later, Wiatt said. “This may be similar to what is going on now,” he said. The department has been work ing diligently on the problem, Wiatt said, and added Wednesday that the department has received some inter esting information that may be valu able in solving the case. Governors along border plan meeting AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Bill Clem ents and the governors of the three other U.S. states that border Mexico are scheduled to meet next month in Phoenix, Ariz., Clements’ office an nounced Wednesday. The May 11 meeting at the offices of Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham is an organizing session to prepare for a conference expected between the U.S. and Mexican border state gov ernors later this year, Clements said. “We have mutual interests and mutual problems that cannot be ig nored and warrant scrutiny from a collective group of leaders on both sides of the border,” Clements said. “This is one of those welcome situ ations where both sides can win,” he said. YOU JUSTGOTTHE KEY TO YOUR FUTURE. LET BEAL FORD AND FORD CREDIT HELP YOU GET THE KEYS TO YOUR NEW CAR. 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