Embattled chief of Oregon's INS stepping down

PORTLAND - Under fire for alleged unfair treatment of foreign travelers, the top federal immigration official for Portland is retiring, his boss said yesterday.

The retirement of David Beebe, effective Oct. 3, was announced by Johnny Williams, western regional director of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

Under Beebe, the city has been dubbed "Deportland" by some Asians because of reports of unfair treatment of Japanese and other travelers at Portland International Airport.

"Mr. Beebe's decision to retire was his and his alone," Williams said. "He cares deeply about his agency and about his employees. (But) under the current circumstances, he believes that he can serve both best by retiring from public service."

Asked whether he would have asked for Beebe's resignation if Beebe had not offered it, Williams said, "That is a bridge I did not have to cross . . . and I'd like to leave it at that."

Williams said he hopes to have a permanent replacement within two months.

Beebe, 55, has completed 30 years of government service and is eligible for retirement.

He said in a statement that he hoped his decision "will refocus the spotlight on the many positive contributions the men and women who work for INS have made."

After meeting with some INS employees yesterday morning, Beebe went on leave until his retirement.

Williams said INS officials have identified areas where the agency's Portland district needs to be improved, including better customer service, employee training and community relations.

"When the changes are put in place, I would hope they will be given time to take effect," Williams said. "The problems cannot be solved overnight, but they can be solved."

He also stressed the need for flexibility when working with INS regulations. Staff members in Portland usually felt "the rules were set in stone by Mr. Beebe."

Williams apologized in behalf of the INS for what he called a "disconnect" between the agency and the city, and promised it "will not get a cookie-cutter fix."

"We know there is much work to be done to rebuild this community's confidence" in the INS, Williams said.

Federal and state officials, including Gov. John Kitzhaber, had called for Beebe's removal after repeated complaints about the treatment of foreigners by INS inspectors at the airport.

A disproportionately large number of foreign travelers, mostly Asians, had been deported - and sometimes jailed - because paperwork appeared questionable.

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., praised the retirement as "simply the right thing to do."

"The problems in the Portland office have gone on far too long," Baird said.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., also welcomed Beebe's retirement, saying the Portland office "deserves new, fresh leadership committed to problem-solving and service."

Pressure for Beebe's removal came to a head last month when the INS strip-searched and jailed a Chinese businesswoman, Guo Liming, on the mistaken belief that she had a bogus passport. She was held for two days in jail in The Dalles, Ore., before her passport was found to be valid.

Beebe later apologized to Guo, 36, and said it was the first time he had sent a letter of apology in 12 years as district director. He said inspectors apparently had failed to notify officials of the Chinese consulate that one of their citizens was in U.S. custody, as required by local policy. Guo has filed a $500,000 claim against the INS and suits against some INS employees.

When Delta Air Lines announced this month that it was halting its last two direct flights from Portland to Japan, Mac Armstrong, executive vice president for operations, said the route was not profitable. But he also said the airline had considered treatment of foreigners in its decision.

Mike Thorne, the director of the Port of Portland, said Beebe's resignation "takes an issue off the table" when it comes to finding a replacement carrier to provide direct service to Asia.

He described Beebe's style as "a way of management I hope others don't follow."

The latest charges of insensitivity among INS inspectors in Portland came to light yesterday, when The Oregonian reported about a German woman who accompanied her American husband into the country without a proper visa. The woman, Claudia Young, was strip-searched, handcuffed and detained for a day, then deported back to Germany.

Her husband, Rick Young, and their daughter, Rachel, whom she was nursing, remain in Oregon.

W. Scott Cihlar, INS district assistant director in Portland, said the agency had no choice but to deport Claudia Young. But he said officials would seek other solutions if a similar situation arose.