CONTINUING FALLOUT FROM PORTLAND INS SCANDAL David Beebe, the Director of the INS inf Portland, Oregon, has been relieved of some of his responsibilities following the strip-search and jailing of a Chinese businesswoman at the Portland airport last week. This comes in spite of a letter to the woman’s attorney in which Beebe wrote that an investigation into the incident would most likely lead to the conclusion that there was no justification for immigration officers to search the woman.
The INS Office of Internal Audit is conducting an investigation into the search and jailing of Guo Liming, the most recent and perhaps most outrageous incident in a series of similar complaints that have been lodged against the INS in Portland. For months now travelers have complained of rude treatment from INS officials at the airport, and of being denied entry for improper reasons. Many who have been denied entry at Portland later entered without problem, using the same documents, but going through different airports, such as San Francisco and Seattle.
Beebe is also facing a new complaint about the behavior of INS officials under him. James DePreist, the conductor of the Oregon Symphony, who is black, went with his wife, who is white, to her citizenship interview at the Portland INS office. When the wife, Ginette, was called and stood, the interviewer questioned whether she was Ginette. According to DePreist, the INS interviewer automatically assumed that because he was a black man, he must be the one seeking citizenship. Bebee has apologized to the DePreists and is investigating the matter further.
However, if regional politicians have their way, Beebe will not be the one to conduct such investigations. They are calling for his resignation as the only way to restore the reputation of the Portland airport. Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA), who has long been critical of Beebe’s performance, called the INS in Portland a “rogue unit” that engaged in “thuggish” behavior at a meeting between INS officials and politicians.
The meeting saw some changes implemented in the way the INS conducts business at the Portland airport. From now on, inspectors must obtain approval from the INS regional office before it can detain a person, or conduct a strip search. Cultural sensitivity and communication training will now be mandatory. < Back | Next > Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. | 
