INS Seeks to Cut Delays at East Los Angeles Office

The Immigration and Naturalization Service announced Friday that it is beefing up its staffing in East Los Angeles to better handle the increased demand for renewals of so-called green cards.

INS officials announced that they would add seven employees to the office at 1241 S. Soto St. to help with the flood of applications for renewing immigrant registration cards. The documents expire this summer for an estimated 200,000 immigrants throughout Southern California.

Officials said they hope the increase will allow the office to process 500 applications a day--up from about 200 it handles now.

The move is designed to shorten the long lines many encounter. Some wait so long that the office closes before they receive assistance, forcing them to come back another day, officials said.

Many of the renewals are being sought by people who gained legal residence in the summer of 1990. About 600,000 of the cards, which are good for 10 years, will expire nationwide, INS officials said.

Among those waiting Friday was Aurelia Aguirre, whose green card does not expire until June. “I’m so tired,” said the nurse from Carson, who had been waiting in a long line since 8 a.m. “If I don’t do it today, I’ll have to come on my next day off.”

INS officials said those who cannot be accommodated will be given an appointment to return but they stressed that immigrants with an expired card are not at risk of losing their legal status.

“The card expires, not their status,” said Rosemary Melville, INS deputy district director.