Imperial Valley Press

Curbs Hold 430 Laborers at Line

Mexican Workmen Wait for Lifting of Immigration Restrictions to Enter Valley for Part in Harvesting Crops

Across the international boundary in Mexicali are 430 Mexican laborers from the interior of the southern republic awaiting a relaxation of strict immigration laws to pour into Imperial county and help prevent a threatened labor shortage, it was disclosed Wednesday.

Calixto Loza, one of several from Jalisco, a state near Mexico City, crossed the border Tuesday on a special non-resident passport to confer with Tom Finney, United States employment director in El Centro. Loza, who represented the group of Mexicans, was seeking information concerning the earliest possible date that the agricultural workers will be allowed to enter the United States.

He told Finney that the men are "all good workers" and are unburdened by families.

Loza said that the men had come from Jalisco and other neighboring states several weeks ago when word filtered through that the U. S. government was asking for aid from the Mexican laborers. Upon reaching the line they were denied entrance into the States, Loza said.

The incoming workers have thrust an unemployment problem on the Mexicali officials. Many of the 430 have been jailed for vagrancy.

Before returning to Mexicali Loza was assured by Finney that he would take up the problem with other government officials, which he did Wednesday in a letter to Frank Buckner, placement officer in the California department of unemployment.

Details regarding physical examinations for incoming workers, necessity of which was one of the reasons they were stopped, are being worked out now, Finney said.