The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is condemning efforts by officials of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service to cover up the racist elements that crept into a Halloween party held Oct. 31, 2007. At this so-called party, an employee dressed as a Jamaican Rastafarian, wearing a dreadlocks wig, prison garb and skin-darkening makeup; a parody of some of the immigrants with whom ICE contends.

Congressman Joe Baca, Chair of the Hispanic Caucus, denounced the actions by ICE officials as “deplorable and inappropriate.” The worst part of it all? ICE officials gave the employee an award for “most original costume.” His reward? Having his picture taken with Assistant Secretary Julie Myers, she must be some kind of beauty.

This would be funny, if only it wasn’t so sad. The employee, who isn’t named in the complaints from Baca’s office, stated to the judges that he was “a Jamaican detainee from Krome. Obviously, I’ve escaped.” True to form, ICE officials, rather than being shocked, laughed at the employee’s antics.

Krome is a Miami, Fla. facility that holds detainees primarily from Jamaica, Haiti and Latin America. This is not the first time Krome has gained the public’s attention. Many reports of sexual abuse, overcrowding and mistreatment of trainees have arisen from that cold, racist detention center.

Although Myers later apologized for participating in such a despicable event, she spoke up too little and too late. She called it “bad judgment.” To me, however, it’s much worse than that. Is it bad judgment to laugh uproariously at someone’s immigration status? Or is it racist? Is it bad judgment for high-ranking ICE officials to make fun of people who are so desperate to improve their lot in life that they risk everything to come to the U.S.? Or is it racist? Yes, it is bad judgment. But, it’s also racist, and racism is one element of U.S. life with which minorities have been struggling for centuries.

In the first place, Myers never should have participated in such an event. But, she’s not the only one. Also guilty as charged are the other two judges at this Halloween fiasco, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management Theresa Bertucci and ICE Chief of Staff Nick Smith. But, here’s the clincher. Not only did Myers try to cover up the brouhaha, she attempted to destroy the photographs that had been taken at the party. Another no-no.

But, you see, I’m not surprised. As someone who has taken on the Border Patrol and other immigration officials throughout his career, nothing the immigration service does surprises me. From the time that I was a columnist for the El Paso Herald-Post in 1982, I have been taking the Border Patrol to task. I have been castigated, challenged, verbally abused and ridiculed because of my views.

In fact, one B.P. official who was stationed in Fort Stockton (or was it Fort Hancock, Charlie?) once remarked that I should stay out of that small community if I knew what was good for me. I called that official immediately and we had it out over the phone. He denied ever saying that. Then he said he was only joking. Then he invited me to that small town as his guest of honor. Yeah, right. Some guest of honor.

I’ve always known that B.P. agents and other immigration forces do carry some of their racist feelings with them. They may deny it all they want, but, to me, it’s reality. When I was a kid, growing up in a Chicano barrio in El Paso, the Border Patrol was a constant irritant in my life. You couldn’t walk from one corner to the next without being accosted by racist agents of the federal government. I once remarked in a column that those same B.P. guys should stick a paper-star to our chests once they’ve determined that we’re here legally. This way, other B.P. agents would know that we’ve been cleared. Of course, my inference was to the same paper star that the Nazis would pin to the shirts of Jewish people. The B.P. didn’t like what I had said one bit. But, I didn’t care.

So, what should be done about this incident? For one thing, Myers should be condemned and charged with covering up a race crime. ICE’s Director of Public Affairs directed the photographer to: “…make sure that the photos of the most creative (single male entry) are destroyed. They may not be used in any publication, website, compilation disk, you name it. Not just not used (sic). Please erase all.” The photographer then allegedly deleted the relevant photographs from his digital camera.

But, get this, here’s the funniest part – funny, but sad – Director of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff expressed strong dissatisfaction with the incident by stating: “I get very perturbed when there is anything that suggests that with respect to the enforcement of law, we are anything other than even-handed. I have zero tolerance for racism or discrimination in the area of law enforcement. We have to be tough but we have to be fair. The idea that you are going to come and impersonate someone of another ethnic group, I think, is completely unacceptable.”

Yeah, right! This from the guy who accused El Pasoans of being crybabies, when we complained about the long lines at the International bridges. He told us El Pasoans to “grow up.” In other words, grow up and take it like a man, or like a woman. In effect, he told us that nothing would change – the fence will be built, the lines will grow longer, border denizens are crybabies and ICE officials can make fun of anyone they like. How do I know this? Because Chertoff did not chastise or discipline in any way Myers, other ICE officials, or the guy who dressed like a Jamaican – an illegal Jamaican, that is. And, these are the folks we’re being asked to trust with enforcing our immigration laws? Go figure!

Sin Fin