The tales of four immigrants

Another story about the overburdened immigration system and how people trying to become legal are made to wait, often for many years. DP

Keith Matheny, The Desert Sun

Amnesty in 1986 taking a long time

The Desert Sun: Luis Salazar came to the U.S. from Peru in 1981 with his then-wife and their two children, ages 3 and 11 months. They came on tourist visas, but had no intention of returning, Salazar said.

“We came here basically to start a new life,” he said.

The situation in Peru at that time “was pretty much devastated,” the 46-year-old said. The economy was bleak; the guerilla rebel group Shining Path was sharpening its violent attacks.

Six months after arriving in Palm Springs, their tourist visas expired, and the Salazars were illegal immigrants.

“In the beginning we were basically living in the shadows,” Salazar said.

Salazar had worked for Proctor & Gamble as a marketing assistant in Peru. The jobs available to him in the U.S. were different.

“I was trimming trees, cleaning houses, cleaning pools, doing basic handyman jobs until I learned English,” he said.

Salazar qualified for amnesty under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, signed by President Ronald Reagan. But 20 years and three presidents later, Salazar is still waiting.

He has documents proving he visited the U.S. immigration office in Los Angeles seven times, seeking to adjust his status after the amnesty was approved. He was turned away each time, he said.

Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.