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	Vol.7, No 24, October 11, 1999
	Smuggled immigrants caught in L.B. By Kristopher Hanson  Daily Forty-Niner A cargo ship containing 54 Chinese nationals crammed into hidden compartments was discovered Wednesday in Long Beach Harbor following a tip that the freighter was carrying illegal immigrants. Authorities became suspicious when they learned that the vessel ìwas ordering provisions for way too many peopleî for the number of listed crew members, said Coast Guard Lt. Jeanne Reincke. The people detained, including men and several teen-age boys, were found in an empty cargo hold on the Pu Progress bulk carrier, according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. They were detained by INS officials and taken to its Los Angeles District Office Staging Facility. Later, they were processed and interviewed by INS officers, said Rico Cabrera, an INS spokesman.  The freighter, which carried a cargo of paraffin wax, was scheduled to stop in Long Beach Harbor, said William Davidson, Coast Guard quartermaster general. "They claimed they needed an escort from off of Pt. Conception, but they came in on their own power," Davidson said. Pt. Conception is more than 50 miles north of Santa Barbara. An investigation is underway to determine if the ship has previously docked in Long Beach, Davidson said. Those detained are likely to be deported unless they state a fear of political persecution, which could trigger a hearing before an immigration judge, according to  The Associated Press. If deported, their fate in China remains uncertain. "Some of these people pay between $30,000 and $40,000 to get onto one of these boats and escape the political and religious [persecution] in China," said Chris Wu, editor-in-chief of China Spring, a California-based magazine opposing the Communist government in China. "I'm sure they [those detained on the boat] are unhappy with their situation there," Wu said. "The Chinese government does not make it easy to leave."  However, some Cal State Long Beach students said that while they sympathize with the immigrantsí plight, immigrants must respect the laws of the land. "First of all, it is illegal -- money cannot just buy anything," said Tim Chen, an industrial design major who has been to China. "They must understand that money does not give them the right to be here." However, Chen said the people in China want democracy and freedom and will go to great lengths to get here.  Often, the Chinese government denies passport requests or U.S. visas, which leaves potential immigrants with the option of either staying in China or illegally escaping, like those in the boat, Wu said.		Fungus not an ugly sight for professor Water polo star claims innocence Smuggled immigrants caught in L.B. Printmaking adopts 'Sweetie' Racism haunts U.S.A Religion's crutch won't carry Ventura Weberg's wicked weekday video rentals Kane & Abel shameful Elgazzar is knee-up on competition Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.