CHIRLA "Educating, Organizing, Advocating"

El Pasoans Upset About Illegal Alien Costume
Miri Marshall-Weekend Anchor
October 17, 2009
EL PASO, Texas -- They took a peek. Find video and story here: KFOX-TV 14

"I really can’t see it,” said Rosa Cabrera, looking at a camera phone picture of a costume.

But what they saw, wasn’t what they considered a scary costume.

"Oh it's like a prison jump suit," said Amber Reta.

Cabrera got a better idea of the costume when she looked a littler closer.

"He's wearing a jump suit of an illegal alien," said Cabrera.

Saturday, KFOX took a cell phone around town and showed people a picture of a Halloween costume that some are calling controversial. The costume is an illegal alien in an orange jumpsuit with an alien head and a green visa card.

"That's very frustrating, ugly,” Cabrera said. “It's just promoting more racial, racial thinking," she said.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles is calling for stores to stop selling this costume. Members said it is "mean spirited" and "ignorant of social stigmas and current debate on immigration reform." The group has sent e-mails to Target, which at one time featured the costume online.

"Well I don't think it's good,” said Reta. “I don't think they should be selling it."

In an Associated Press article, Target officials said the costume was mistakenly offered online. Target officials said it has been taken down and it was not carried in Target stores. The Associated Press said The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles also asked Wisconsin-based BuySeasons, Inc., to stop selling the costume.

“It's just bad taste, first on whoever was going to put it on and Target," said Paul Cabrera.

And some people in the borderland said if they saw someone with it on they would not like it.

"First of all, he's not educated to know, he's probably an ignorant person,” said Cabrera.