Immigration bill jumble gets swindlers going

Fraud - Officials warn against a "special letter" that, for a fee, offers to fast-track the amnesty process for illegal immigrants

ANGIE CHUANG

The Oregonian

As the future of immigration law hangs in the balance, scam artists in Oregon have tried to exploit the Congressional limbo, offering to get undocumented immigrants to the front of the line for potential amnesty.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has posted warnings nationwide. Closer to home, some immigrants in Woodburn have been approached with the offer of a $200 "special letter" that gives them priority for amnesty or guest-worker visas.

Local Spanish-language radio stations repeatedly advise listeners to act on neither the Senate bill's legalization route nor the House bill's criminalization of illegal immigration.

"I'm sure people are totally confused. It's either, 'You're going to get your papers,' or 'They're going to round everybody up,' " said Devin Bernard, community outreach worker for Catholic Charities' El Program Hispano in Portland.

"Even U.S. citizens who've been in this country their whole lives are confused about what's happening in Congress now, so imagine if you didn't speak the language."

Uncertainty about the future of illegal immigrants might be dividing Congress, but on the ground it's created challenges for local Latino community service providers.

In some cases, they've had to guard clients, eager for legalization, against potential fraud. At the same time, they've had to reassure others who were certain they'd get deported if they appeared in court for a traffic violation.

Ramon Ramirez, president of the Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United in Woodburn, said that although he's aware that some have been offered the "special letter" for amnesty at $100 or $200, "we haven't had a case of someone getting ripped off yet. But it's happening all over."

Ramirez said he's been on Spanish-language radio about a dozen times, telling people that the bills in Congress are just proposals. His organization, known by its Spanish acronym PCUN, has also held community forums on the topic.

Those who speak indigenous dialects and no Spanish or English are particularly vulnerable, he said.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has distributed a notice that warns immigrants to "Be wary of persons or organizations that claim they can assist in applying for benefits that do not exist."

Sharon Rummery, a regional spokeswoman for the agency, said she has not heard about instances of fraud in Oregon, but such incidents have occurred in Texas and Florida.

Sabino Sardineta, executive director of Centro Cultural in Cornelius, said that while he's on the lookout for fraud, he's spent more time reassuring people that they aren't going to be deported now.

"There is a lot of unrest," he said. "The fear goes as far as not wanting to take care of legal matters or go to court because they're afraid they will be deported."

The overall message, Sardineta said, is that those who are here illegally shouldn't jump the gun while the House and Senate try to bridge the vast gulf between their bills.

"We are telling people that even if something is coming up, it is not going to happen overnight," he said. "This is not to time to do something, one way or the other."