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GULF COAST CRISIS: THE AID EFFORT
Immigrants told to seek help, whatever their legal status

By Oscar Avila and Hugh Dellios
Tribune staff reporters
Published September 8, 2005

Foreign governments and Hispanic advocacy groups scrambled Wednesday to help an especially vulnerable group of hurricane survivors: immigrants who often don't speak English or possess legal immigration status.

In a region coping with a devastated infrastructure, relief workers had to work extra hard to reach immigrant victims, especially with a reported shortage of bilingual volunteers.

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Hurricane Katrina was especially devastating for Hondurans who have crossed the Gulf of Mexico for decades to work at ports and fishing jobs in Louisiana.

Many Hondurans came to Louisiana for a more desperate reason: to flee the destruction caused by Hurricane Mitch, which devastated Central America in 1998. The U.S. government provided temporary legal status for Hondurans affected by Mitch.

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Hispanic leaders report even worse problems reaching undocumented immigrants. In past disasters, undocumented immigrants have received emergency aid but have not been eligible for government assistance during reconstruction.

Murguia, part of a delegation that met with President Bush, said she has been assured that undocumented immigrants have "absolutely no fear of recrimination right now."

To reinforce that message, Mexican President Vicente Fox broadcast messages to Mexicans in the U.S., trying to persuade them to seek help. "Don't be afraid to follow rescue officials' directions," Fox said.

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