Undocumented Immigrant Upset After Arrest At Car Dealership

POSTED: 6:27 pm CDT August 22, 2008
UPDATED: 7:54 pm CDT August 22, 2008


IRVING, Texas -- Some members of the Hispanic community are calling for a boycott of Frank Parra dealerships after a broken car deal led to an undocumented immigrant's arrest.

Frank Parra Dodge insists it is the victim of an immigration smear campaign brought on by community activist Carlos Quintanilla. Quintanilla is calling for a boycott after the sales staff at the dealership had customer Oscar Urbina arrested.

Urbina admitted to being in the country illegally and using a fake Social Security number to buy a truck when the finance company flagged the deal.

"That's when we said, 'Just give us our truck and leave the store,'" Joe Fernandez of Frank Parra Dodge said.

Instead, the dealership's salesmen said Urbina locked himself inside the truck, and that is when they called police.

"The last thing we want is to have a customer arrested. We just wanted our truck back," Fernandez said.

However, Urbina said the dealership actually offered to find a new finance company that would accept the fake Social Security number if he agreed to pay a higher percentage rate and put more money down.

"It's saying, 'If you don't agree with us, we will call the police and report you,'" Quintanilla said.

The Parra dealership denies that that offer took place.

Urbina said he was upset because he has purchased numerous cars at the dealership before and there was never a problem.

However, when asked if that fact makes it appropriate for him to use a fake Social Security number, Urbina seemed to be at a loss for words.