El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 2

CONTINUED FROM 1A OA El Time aM Saturday, Sept. 26, 1998 Center fTimes JU ELECT10NK98 Lieutenant governor debate Score sheet In each category, give each debater a rating of 1 to 5 to describe your evaluation of the debater's effectiveness, 1 spoor 2falr 3average 4excellent 5superlor John Sharp 1 2 3 4 5 Rick Perry 1 1 2 3 4 5 Analysis Reasoning Evidence Organization Refutation Delivery Tally Add the scores above to come up with a total sharp: for each debater (total score for each should be between 6 and 30.) Perry: In my opinion the debate was won by: Victor Caludai 1 Paso Times El Paso Times Southwest Key staff member Jimmy Almonte, right, plays a game of wiui a juvenile unaocumeniea immigrant at uasa ti raso. Debate detention. Child care contractors are required to provide information about access to free legal aid, and that wasn't happening in Phoenix, according to the report. Mary Martinez, a former Casa El Paso employee who now works at Casa Alternativa, said she thought Southwest Key in El Paso did a good job of that.

"Southwest Key does give access to lawyers," she said. Casa El Paso was not visited by Human Rights Watch for the 1997 report, though representatives from the group, based in New York, said they may visit this year. Child-care workers say the first few days in captivity are especially hard for the children. "They can't believe they got caught," said Yolanda Deines, quality control manager at Casa El Paso. "They can't believe they can't work to pay off the coyote." "The kids are facing culture shock when they come here," Casa El Paso's Wallace said.

"Time for them is a flowing entity it doesn't regiment them like it does us. They don't understand why people have to get up at a particular time." Still, despite the abuses many of the children have suffered, workers take a pragmatic approach. "I really don't feel sorry for them," Martinez said. "I want to give these kids something to take with them, because they have the strength to do it they came this far." Another Central American boy was reunited this summer with a sister residing in the United States after spending three months in Casa El Paso. After they embraced tearfully, the 17-year-old said he had nothing but praise for the home.

But spending months in a highly regulated facility in a country far from one's real home while dealing with the pain of failure can be a difficult lesson to learn, he said. "To me, this is not a detention center, but more like a boarding school," he said, sitting by his sister's side. "Not everyone feels com- fortable with it. I have a positive attitude, but others get depressed. "Dealing with desperation: How do you do it? You nave to learn that." continued from 1A study art, math and social studies," he said.

The children wait in the center while their parents or guardians are sought either in the United States or in their home countries. Meanwhile, deportation proceedings against the children continue. The children typically spend about 45 days in the home but can stay longer than a year, Some are deported, and about 25 percent are released in the United States on bond, some seeking political asylum. Casa El Paso has 48 beds and houses about 300 children annually. It opened in March 1997.

A new 64-bed El Paso home called Casa Alternativa will begin accepting children in October. Many of the children housed here are not captured in El Paso, but in other parts of Texas or neighboring states. Though the children are free to roam the Casa El Paso building, doors and windows have alarms. Since the home opened, there have been 18 to 20 escape attempts, and all but two or three children have been recovered, said Michael Wallace, Casa El Paso's assistant program director. "Our security is mainly designed to keep people out of the building, for example, smugglers that may have an interest in getting in," he said.

"It's not designed to keep the kids in." The 17-year-old boy, who has spent 10 months in Casa El Paso, recently received a deportation order from a court after his request for political asylum was denied. His case is now on appeal. Because the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service now considers him to be desperate enough to try to escape, he has been confined for more than a week to the basement of Casa El Paso, where classrooms and counseling offices are. The policy doesn't sit well with the boy, a lanky pale teen-ager in laceless hightops who enjoys getting outside a couple hours a day.

"It's not fair to be locked in here," he said. Spectator rules If you're planning to attend today's debate between Rick Perry and John Sharp at UTEP's Fox Fine Arts Center, here are a few planning tips: Be seated by 4:45 p.m. Introductions and some ground rule explanations will precede the beginning of the televised 'debate at 5 p.m. No signs or banners will be allowed in the theater. Only working media will be allowed to take photos during the debate.

Camcorders will not be allowed in the theater. Bring a pen or pencil because the audience will have an opportunity to provide written comments. Background 300 undocumented Immigrant children under 18 are detained annually in El Paso. Casa Paso has 48 beds and is currently open. Casa Alternativa has 64 beds and will open in October.

Children typically stay 45 days, but can stay more than a year. It costs about $18.25 a day per child to house them. Casa El Paso's annual budget is about $2 million. In the 18-state region that includes Texas, there are 10 juvenile homes. One is in Chicago.

The rest are in Texas: one each in Paso, Dallas, San Antonio, Del Rio and Laredo, and two each in Houston and Hariingen. ball game. Though he complained that doctors wouldn't set his nose, his lawyer said that doctors told him he is too young for the procedure. "I've been trying to massage it back in place myself," the boy said. A Phoenix home run by Southwest Key was cited in a report by Human Rights Watch in 1997 for allowing its children to languish in The INS detains children in separate quarters from adults because of a class-action lawsuit filed in 1985.

Under the settlement, the INS agreed to house all juveniles detained for more than 72 hours in centers that meet or exceed the standards used for foster children. In an 18-state region that includes Texas, there are 10 juvenile homes, and most are on the Texas-Mexico border, INS officials said. It costs roughly $18.25 a day to house each child, according to representatives from Southwest Key, the company that the INS contracts with to run Casa El Paso. A different group will run Casa Alternativa The INS has been chastised recently by human rights groups for allowing some of the 16,000 adults and children detained at any one time in the nation to be housed in facilities run by contractors that are not adequately monitored by the INS. All children interviewed for this article were accompanied by their lawyers and immigration officials, and all said they liked the home run by Southwest Key.

The 17-year-old boy did mention that he was unhappy with medical care he had received after breaking his nose in a See the debate Supporters of both Democrat John Sharp and Republican Rick Perry can watch the candidates' debate today at receptions in The Union at the University of Texas at El Paso. The Perry partisans are meeting in the Conquistador Lounge, second floor, Union East. The Sharp supporters will meet in the Tomas Rivera Conference Center, third floor, Union East. TV screens and refreshments will be provided. The campaigns plan post-debate receptions at those Continued from 1A "Most people won't take the time to sit down and listen to an hour-long debate they have lives to lead.

But they want to know what happened," Sanders said. "It's the reporting of the debate and the Btories after the debate that matter." Miller said: "The after-effects sort of take on a life of their own and often Cases color the campaign from here to the finish." might be tough for ordinary TV viewers to determine a clear debate winner, said Mary Trejo, director of forensics at the University of Texas at El Paso. Sharp and Perry are skilled politicians with long backgrounds in the Capitol. "They couldn't have gotten to where they are in their public lives without real strengths," she said. "I think the viewer will have to listen carefully.

I don't expect that it will be clear cut and easy (to determine the debate winner)." She suggests viewers compare the candidates' knowledge of issues and tendencies to engage in personal attacks. "How knowledgeable are they, how informed are they in terms of the issues that are important to the state of Texas? Do they cite specific examples and evidence showing deep knowledge of the subjects under discussion?" she said. The winner between Sharp and Perry in the Nov. 3 election will replace retiring Lt. Gov.

Bob Bullock when lawmakers return to session in January. Sharp is the comptroller, whose experience includes stints as Texas railroad commissioner, state senator and state represen-; tative. Perry is the Texas agriculture commissioner, who began his political life as a state representative. Austin-based Democratic consultant and former executive director of the Texas Democratic Party Ed Martin predicted debate watchers will see a difference. "When it comes to intellect and the records and accomplishments, this is a race between sharp and dull," Martin said.

"And I think what people should look for is, who really knows the issues and who's just talking sound bites and image. "I think John Sharp is perfectly comfortable talking about the warn issues. I think Rick Perry will be cautious and stick to broader themes." El Paso's Capitol lobbyist, Hector Gutierrez," has known Sharp and ferry for nearly 30 years. Gutierrez was corps commander at when Sharp and Perry entered the corps as freshmen. Perry eventually became yell leader, a high profile leadership position, and Sharp became student body president.

Gutierrez remains friends with both candidates. "I can assure you that whoever is elected will not forget El Paso," he said. "The main thing the debate will accomplish is that it's going to (stir) in the minds of the candidates issues important to this region of the state. And people won't forget the answers to the issues." Admiral Admiral Friqidaire XT Rofrinoratnr Refrigerator Refrigerator I IVII IVI Vt I 598 $()(o(o98 SS White 24.8 Cubic Feet Only 1 Reg. $1099.99 SS White 24.8 Cubic Feet Only 1 Reg.

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