ATROCITIES IN AMERICAN AIRPORTS

[Guest Ernani]

Can someone tell me if this story can be true ? I am afraid it may happen to me

 

ATROCITIES IN AMERICAN AIRPORTS

If you, or someone from your family, have any plan to visit the US in a near future, I strongly suggest you to continue reading this text, where I describe the experiences I had in LA International Airport, late Feb 24, 2002.

My name is Ricardo Abude E. Da Silva, I'm an Electronic Engineer graduated in 1982 and today am managing our family's businesses in the farming sector. Throughout my 42 years of age I've travelled several times to the US, both on business and tourism. Late Feb 23 I embarked in Rio heading to LA, in possession of my third Visa to the US, issued in November 1999, and valid until November 2009.

I was aware of the increased airport security for US trips, due to Sep 11 attacks, and in Rio International Airport one can already notice the routine change, but I could have never imagined what would happen next.

From now on I describe, step by step, the inimaginable nightmare that I went through :

Saturday Feb 23 21:50 hrs I depart from Rio with Varig flight RG 8836, going to LA.

Sunday Feb 24 07:00 hrs I arrive in LA and proceed towards passport control. The officer looks at my Passport for about five minutes, and asks me to proceed towards an INS office known as 'Secondary One'. It is the first time something like that happens to me, but I imagine I´m going to be interviewed for additional information concerning my stay. 'Extra safety measures....' I thought.

Sunday Feb 24 07:30 hrs A Second officer asks me to collect all my luggage and accompany him inside Secondary One. "...the interview is going to be in there." I thought again. All of a sudden, I am brutally pushed inside a 2x2 yd cell, all my luggage, money, documents and personnal belongings are confiscated, and they take away my belt and shoe strings. As I protest against the unexpected treatment, the two officers respond with loud screams and threats of beating me and keeping me confined. I am violently pushed against the wall, they frisk me from head to toe, and all my personnal

belongings are searched. Again I´m pushed against the wall, my picture is taken, I'm fingerprinted and am finally thrown into a filthy, stinky, unventilated hall, already crowded with people. I notice, by their looks, that they've gone through the same 'ritual', and even though I am still stunned by the long flight, the jet lag, and mainly by the violent, outraging disrespect of civil and human rights, I face the crude fact of life "there's no such thing as interviews - I'm a prisoner."

Sunday Feb 24 09:00 hrs The scene resembles a Greek tragedy, a 4x4 yd room, filthy chairs, a stinking black carpet, no ventilation, huge 50" TV turned on all the time volume blasting. Tired, hungry people, sick people, people throwing up....worried about a friend,who was waiting for me outside the airport I ask for a phone call.

- "Shut-up! No phone calls." - They answered.

Sunday Feb 24 10:00 hrs Arrested, hungry, thirsty, no communication, and without the slightest ideia of what was going to happen next, I noticed the continuos flow of tourists coming to our cell and I face the degrading scandal the very same treatment is given to women, teenagers, children even elderly people a truly barbarian act !

Revolted, I witness two INS officers arguing over the priviledge of frisking the prettiest ladies, without any concern of hiding their sickening lust from their respective fathers, husbands or brothers, doing their commentaries, invitations, and obscene declarations right on their faces.

- "I've just frisked a disgusting latino....now it's my turn to frisk this Italian fox !" stated an Officer to his coleague, refering to the wife of an Italian tourist. The blunt disrespect made my stomach churn in revolt....

Kicking, pushing, screaming, threathening, heavily armed bullies displayed their brutallity,prejudice, and arrogance upon the constant flow of tourists coming into our cell, getting more and more crowded by the minute, holding an unbearable stench....

Sunday Feb 24 14:00 hrs After seven hours of ordeal, I'm finally taken to an almost surrealistic "interview" with Officer Sanchez, and Officer Lee, both subordinate to Officer Green, from INS. He "explains" to me that since all my papers and my Visa were in perfect order, he would "kindly" give me two options :

- The first was to sign a document in which I "requested" the withdrawal of my Visa,returning to Brazil in the first available flight.

- If I refused to sign the hoax I'd be arrested for an undetermined period and he'd start a compulsory deportation process, sending me back to my Country thus.

A important detail on the "deal" - so long as I refused to sign the document I'd not receive any food, or water. What would you choose? Oh well, me, too.

Sunday Feb 24 16:00 hrs I am taken, with another five "prisoners" to a different cell. We are all handcuffed, and escorted by armed officers, we are made to stroll through the airport lounge. The terrified tourists make way, frightened by the grotesque scene. They take us all to a van, parked outside the terminal, and transfer us to the other cell. The humiliation is suffocating ....

- Sunday Feb 24 17:00 hrs Apparently, they have forgotten to make me sign a few forms at the Secondary One, so I'm taken again for a couple of strolls ( going there and coming back ) in the Airport Lounge. Those strolls remember are with cuffs and 'escorts.'

 

Sunday Feb 24 18:00 hrs Due to my unceasing protests, they finally allow me to make a phone call. I contact a Lawyer in LA, in the hope he´d get me out of that hell, but the information I get from him is even more surprising, and disheartening:

- "Ricardo, the INS grounds at the Airport are not legally considered American soil, so I cannot invoke any civil right to take you out of there..." he tells me. How about that ???

 

In other words, I realize I'm in a no-man's land, a lawless place, arrested by arbitrary Nazis in the guise of INS Officers, that, due to this legal technicality, have the power to do whatever they please with you and what is worse with your family. I start to dream of the moment of catching a plane back home to Brazil.....x(

[trilingual]

See the other thread, about Bruno, for comments about this. The answer is "yes," it could happen. But the odds are low. The vast majority of people arriving in the U.S. are admitted. After all, you came to the U.S. after September 11th yourself, and you didn't have any problems. Don't worry about things you can't control.

 

As I mentioned in my post in the other thread, the author of this piece has "Abude" as one of his names, which may be Arabic. That might have made the immigration inspector suspicious. It's also possible that the person who wrote the article isn't telling the complete story. It's always hard to know in these situations. However, in your case, the fact that you were here recently and your records show that you didn't overstay your previous entry should make it easier.

[+ Axiom2001]

Ernani, attempt to view your upcoming trip positively (optimistically), and things more than likely will be as easy and smooth for you as they were when you came to this country in May.

I wish you the best in your travels in the future. I know others do also!

[Guest Ernani]

I should not mind about these type of articles, but, can you imagine going to another country after investing your time and money and go through all this ?

You're right. Nothing happened to me in April, and likely in September things must be the same.

Thank you for comforting me with hopeful words.

I owe you a blowjob ( or vice versa ? )

[+ Axiom2001]

I'll take you up on that!:9 :9 :9

[trilingual]

Hey, don't I get a freebie, too? :P

[Guest Ernani]

Don't worry, Tri.

If I can go through the customs with no problems, I can invite Axiom and You to a 3 oral way, in San Francisco.

As we say in Brazil, you can "sing in my microphone" (that is an oral metaphor).

But, in my picture in my passport I look very much like an arab. Are you sure the imigration people won't check my cavities to see if I'm carrying a bomb ?

[trilingual]

If they do, just hope the inspector is cute! ;-)

[Guest SeaGuy]

Well I don't want to crash a party but I did post the said "Atrocities" letter. Can I get a taste or a lick?:9