Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 41

Austin American-Statesman Metro State Sunday, September 14, 1997 CS order effort brings few com so far plaints, f. 1 4' I don't know of anyone who would risk putting their career and their livelihoods on the line to go out and beat up on somebody. Joe Garza, Border Patrol sector chief If fa. ff fa I 1 1 "11111 -tllllil lit I III IIM w- field. Then they remain on probation for one year, during which they are evaluated every two weeks by a veteran agent.

"It's something that is ingrained in our minds from day one," Garza said. "We know that we're under a microscope. We know that we've got our critics out there. I don't know of anyone who would risk puttirig their career and their livelihoods on the line to go out and beat up on somebody." The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, which investigates allegations of wrongdoing against federal employees, said it has received up to six complaints a week against Border Patrol agents since Operation Rio Grande began. However, none of the complaints has been substantiated, said Wayne D.

Beaman, special agent in charge of the Office of Inspector General in McAllen. Still, some immigrant rights activists said it's just a matter of time. "We feel that the escalation in manpower is going to lead to many more abuses of human rights and injuries of persons," said Sister Moira Kenny, a paralegal for the South Texas Civil Rights Project. The organization, which protested outside the McAllen Border Patrol office last week, is forming a task force to address complaints specifically related to Operation Rio Grande, Sister Kenny said. However, she said the group had received no formal complaints of abuse since the initiative began.

Operation Rio Grande hasn't lived up to predictions of abuse; rights groups still expect the worst By Pauune Arrillaga Associated Press HARLINGEN, Texas When Operation Rio Grande began last month along the Texas-Mexico border, demonstrators held a candlelight vigil in protest of the civil rights abuses they said the initiative would bring. Last week, when 55 new Border Patrol agents were sworn in to supplement the operation, more protesters marched outside the agency's McAllen headquarters, hoisting signs that read: "Stop Border Patrol Abuse." And in Mexico top government officials have publicly complained about the operation almost daily, accusing U.S. authorities of violating "the human, civil and labor rights of Mexicans." On both sides of the border immigrant rights activists are rallying around the battle cry of abuse in the wake of Operation Rio Grande. But those same groups, and the Mexican consuls in Brownsville and McAllen, acknowledge that there have been few, if any, complaints reported since the initiative started Aug. 25.

Jonathan Jones of the Valley Coalition for Justice said it's still too early to measure the impact of the operation in regard to possible Anthony PadillaThe Brownsville Herald Civil rights activists on Aug. 25 hold candles and pray protested the start of Operation Rio Grande, a U.S. by the Rio Grande in Brownsville. About 60 people Border Patrol effort to stem illegal immigration. civil rights violations.

"We're continuing to try to draw attention to the situation, but I guess we won't know right away," said Jones, whose organization has been distributing fliers urging immigrants to contact the group if they are mistreated by immigration officials. In the past three weeks the group has received only a few complaints from undocumented immigrants who said Border Patrol agents pushed them in downtown Harlingen. Jones admits he doesn't know whether the complaints are related to Operation Rio Grande, which is concentrated in Brownsville. The initiative has quadrupled the number of agents in downtown Brownsville and a 2-mile section of river directly south of downtown, where agents are stationed just 200 yards apart. In addition, dozens of lights have been installed along the river bank.

has met with the Mexican consuls in Brownsville and McAllen to discuss their concerns. He also has established a toll-free number for complaints or concerns about Operation Rio Grande. "The Border Patrol is not the enemy," he said. Garza said agents receive extensive training in immigration law, statutory authority and sensitivity issues before they head into the office was carefully monitoring the situation, particularly for cases of legal migrants being mistaken for illegals. "The thing is, how do you know the difference between a person without documents, a Mexican national with documents or a U.S.

citizen that looks Mexican? You don't see that firsthand," she said. Joe Garza, chief of the Border Patrol sector that runs from Brownsville west to Roma, said he Berenice Rendon-Talavera, the Mexican consul in Brownsville, said her office had received just one allegation of abuse since Operation Rio Grande began. An undocumented immigrant alleged that a Border Patrol agent pushed him into a van, but he did not file a formal complaint. The Mexican Consulate in McAllen has not received any complaints, officials there said. Nevertheless, Rendon said, her Race remarks raise threats, protests Death notices as universities.

Morales said those "bigoted generalizations do immeasurable harm to our state's efforts to promote diversity within the law and the U.S. Constitution." Morales, too, has been targeted by some minority groups for his interpretation of the 1996 Hop-wood decision, which specifically addressed the use of race as a basis for UT law school admissions. In an opinion, Morales stated that the Hopwood decision applied to scholarships and admissions in all state universities. achievers," said Gramm. R-Texas.

But Gramm, who has long questioned the value of affirmative action programs, said the questions remain. "For people who are real achievers and who do it on their own one of the negative sides of affirmative action is people sometimes question whether they got it on then-own," he said. Graglia spoke out Wednesday as honorary co-chairman of Students for Equal Opportunity, a group that supports the Hopwood court ruling, which led to the end of affirmative action programs at Tex Continued from Bl his remarks Wednesday on the subject of affirmative action at UT. "Blacks and Mexican-Americans are not academically competitive with whites in selective institutions," Graglia said then. "I think the worst thing about (Graglia's comments) is that the comments are simply not true," U.S.

Sen. Phil Gramm, a former economics professor at Texas said Saturday in Austin. "I had a lot of students from all the ethnic groups that make up our state and nation who were quality students and who were ARNIM, Martha Ann, of Flatonia died Friday. Services 2 p.m. Monday, Smith Funeral Home, Flatonia.

Burial Flatonia City Cemetery. GREEN, Lily Herrod, 76, of Indianapolis, died Friday. Services 1 p.m. Tuesday, Greenlawn North Funeral Home, Springfield, Mo. Burial Green-lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Springfield, Mo.

HARDIN, Charles Elmer, 65, of Kempner died Saturday. No services are planned. Arrangements by Briggs-Ga-mel-Wilcox, Lampasas. HOLDER, Myrtle Udora, 76, of Burnet died Friday. Services 2 p.m.

Monday, Liberty Hill Cemetery. Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox, Burnet. JOINER, Loretta, 90, of Giddings died Friday. Visitation 4 p.m. Tuesday, Moses Funeral Services, Services 1 p.m.

Wednesday, David Chapel Baptist Church. Burial Evergreen Cemetery. Arrangements by King-Tears Mortuary. KULP, Cleta 81, of Smithville died Friday. Visitation 10 a.m.

Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday, Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home, Bastrop. Burial Sacramento, Calif. LONG, William H. "Bill," of Austin died Friday.

Services are pending. Arrangements by Cook-WaldenForest Oaks. LYNCH, Daniel, 76, of Austin died Saturday. Services are pending. Arrangements by Wilke-Clay-Fish.

McCLEARY, Avanell Behrend, 78, of Freeport died Friday. Services 2 p.m. Monday, Jones Creek Baptist Church, near Freeport. Burial McDade Cemetery. OLVERA, Reyes Alfonso "Ray," 60, of Austin died Saturday.

Visitation 1 p.m. today, Wilke-Ciay-Fish Funeral Home. Rosary 7:30 p.m. Monday, Wilke-Clay-Fish Funeral Home. Mass 10 a.m.

Tuesday, St. IgnatiusMartyr Catholic Church. Burial Assumption Cemetery. PATTERSON, Iva 95, of Georgetown died Saturday. Visitation 4 p.m today, Cook-WaldenDavis Funeral Home, Georgetown.

Services 2 p.m. Monday, Cook-WaldenMemorial Hill Cemetery. SHANNON, James Arthur, 82, of Round Rock died Friday. Visitation 2 p.m. today, Wilke-Clay-Fish Funeral Home.

Services 10 a.m. Monday, Fisk-ville Cemetery. STRAUB, Harold Watson, 47, of Austin died Thursday. Services 1 p.m. today, Zilker clubhouse.

Arrangements by Harrell. SZEBEHELY, Vector, 76, died Saturday. Services are pending. Arrangements by Weed-Corley Fish. SOUTHERN TRUST ASSOCIATES PRESENTS MONEY A Lecture for People Over 50 by Harry C.

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