Discrimination in Detroit

I am Rheena Villamor, 23 years old, a part time courtside reporter for the last four years in UAAP, PBL, and recently in PBA (Philippine Basketball Association). I am writing to you with my ardent desire to share my experience last Thursday (October 4, 2007) under the Detroit Immigration Officers harassment with me and my sister. We were condemned of wrong accusations when they had no evidence upon us. They reprimanded us of getting a work there when in fact, we just wanted to have pleasure with my relatives and grandparents. The choice for us that time was either to be put to prison for five years or to sign a withdrawal form that declares that we would voluntarily exit their country and go back to Manila in the next available flight. Due to our urge of getting back to our family, my sister and I were forced to sign the withdrawal form and as soon a we got back here in the Philippines, my family decided to file a complaint against the US Embassy and my relatives in the US have already talked to a lawyer regarding this issue. Rheena attached in this email is the story/complaint i made against the US officers. NOTE TO FILE Complaints on the Port of Entry in the US Detroit 4 October 2007 Arrival Dear Sir/Madam: Last October 4, 2007, upon our arrival at Detroit Airport Immigration Department, myself, Rheena M. Villamor and my sister, Maryann M. Villamor were asked by a primary officer (who looks like Eddie Murphy) regarding our stay in the United States. First, we were asked about our plans in which we both firmly said that it was for pleasure & to visit our aunt, cousin, and grandparents who were in New York. He followed it by asking us “why do we need to stay there for 5 months?" (considering that he saw our flight back to Manila dated March 30, 2008), I told the officer that our aunt promised to tour us around the country since this was the only time and opportunity that I was given a long vacation after my consecutive years of working as a courtside reporter in the Philippines. He then, asked about my sister unto which my sister replied that she was a registered nutritionist taking a time off from studies and will eventually take a masteral degree next school year, to visit our relatives in the United States. He got our finger prints and pictures and asked us “How much money do we have?", I told him that we have US$400 each and an HSBC Visa credit card for each with us. Our parents didn’t want us to bring too much money that is why they gave us credit card for our own use while in the U.S. Then he kept on asking us “why do we need to stay there for five months?" in which I still told him that 5 months is just enough time for us to tour around United States as promised by our aunt, but the flight can always be changed and what is important is that we have our returned tickets. Aside from that, I even said that I have a stable job in the Philippines and my sister has to take her masteral degree in the Philippines which is more affordable and our parents want us back before Philippines summer vacation. The officer gave our tickets and passports back and told us to follow another officer who led us to the main immigration office. I was seated beside my sister when I heard a lady officer in front of us said “that they are sisters" (reffering to us) and with a sarcastic smile the guy officer said “let’s do it". At that point, I knew something bad was already going on and these were the succeeding events: • A guy officer (white in complexion, about 5’8" tall) invited me to a room with my 2 small hand carried bags. He then asked me questions of my visit in the United States wherein I told him that it was for pleasure; to visit my relatives in New York. He asked “what do you do in the Philippines?" I told him that I work as a courtside reporter for the last four years, which he followed by asking me “how come I can afford to take a time off from work for five months?" and I explained to him that our next season of games will be sometime in June-July 2008. In fact I even said that upon my return to the Philippines, I will start finalizing my hosting job offers which I shortly postponed to give myself this opportunity to have a vacation. He then asked the same thing about my sister and I told him that “my sister is a registered nutritionist in the Philippines taking a time off to spend time with our relatives in New York in which my aunt, cousin, and our grandparents are staying". He then asked about our aunt in New York and I told him “ that she is a physical therapist and she promised to tour us around since this was the only time that we (me and my sister) were given a chance to have a longer break from work and travel together. • The next thing was accompanying me to get our luggage at the conveyer. I got all four luggages and went back into the room for secondary inspection. He told me that if he found anything like resumes, graduation certificates, transcript of records, and other records, he will subject me immediately to jail because it was illegal. I replied to him “sure you can check on our stuff and I am very much willing to help you with that." He then opened my luggage and searched everywhere if he can find anything in it. He was quite disappointed because he didn’t see anything and told me that he is not satisfied because he still thought that I was lying to him. He then got my cell phone and read by himself the messages of my friends as he asked me what this message is supposed to mean “good luck and have a safe trip?" I told him “that’s how we Filipinos normally wish well for our friends to enjoy and have a safe and sound trip." When he couldn’t find anything on my cell phone, the officer even threw it away on top of the table, good that my cell phone didn’t get any damage. With all things scattered on the floor, he asked me to put it back and stay there in the corner and went to talk with my sister who was at the other corner. • When I finished packing my things, he then asked for my email address and my aunt’s address and contact numbers in which I did not hesitate to give it to him. The officer even asked my personal emails and even the passwords and opened it by himself and checked if there are some CVs/resumes or other documents on file, but still did not find anything. Adding more to that, he also opened my wallet without permission and he only saw four credit cards, coins, and pictures of my family. I would say that opening of ones cell phone messages, emails, and my wallet by themselves are already invasion of privacy. • Again, he said and explained to me that lying to an officer can put me in prison for five years, and I replied back to him that I understand that. So he questioned me again if I have plans of working there and still answered him the same thing “No, I don’t have intentions of working there since I just came there for a vacation to see my aunt, cousin, and grandparents. I have been working as a courtside reporter for the last four years and I have to be back in the Philippines just in time for the next season." And will eventually finalize other hosting job offers. He reprimanded me of lying because he told me that my sister already told the truth and with a shocked voice, I answered to him that “the truth is we’re just here to visit our relatives, have fun and enjoy this chance of having a tour around the country." He kept on asking me the same questions over and over again forcing me to admit that I had plans of working there since they told me that my sister already admitted that we are there to work (which is totally a false statement because neither of us is going to work there). He still told me that since I was lying, he can directly put me to jail for five years and I still told him “I understand the consequences of lying and you can put me to jail if you have enough evidence on me." He walked away and asked me to fix the luggage and take a sit and wait. • My sister then was led to a room by a lady officer (Jessica Hibbard) and asked her the same questions over and over again. She was also forced to admit that she was planning to work there. My sister told the officer “we have no plans or intentions of working there that’s why we only have a tourist visa" asking back the officer “why, is it possible to work here without a working visa?" and the officer said “I don’t know that’s why I am asking you". That statement made my sister think that the officer had no knowledge or just pretending on the difference of having a tourist visa and a working visa. The lady officer told my sister that they know the truth because I already told them that we were there to work for our aunt (which I really didn’t tell because that was not true considering that we cant work for our aunt because there was no connection with being a sports science graduate and nutritionist to work in a rehabilitation facility. I don’t think we have enough knowledge to work there if we were graduates of extremely irrelevant courses from being a physical therapist). • On both separate places, we were asked of the same things over and over again. We admitted that we have a relative in Florida and still forced me to working with them. I firmly stood by my answers that I cannot possibly work there because I have a stable job in Manila and I cannot work there for the reason that I am not qualified to work as a therapist with no sufficient knowledge on a rehabilitation setting. He still forced me by asking me “how much is my uncle in Florida paying me?" I still told him that I wasn’t going to work there and my uncle will not pay me anything since he doesn’t have a company of his own and still we are not going to work there. • The same questions were asked to us on different places, my sister was with the lady officer and I was with the guy officer. They were really forcing us to admit that we were there to work even though we kept telling them that there was really no intention of working that is why we got a tourist visa. We were just there for pleasure. Although they were twisting our stories, we both firmly stood by our statement that we were not going to work there. We are not stupid to go there as a tourist if we have plans of working there because we knew that it was illegal and punishable by law. To my dismay and shock he told me that they already decided to bring us back to the Philippines on the next available flight. They let us sign a withdrawal form and told me that I was lucky to only be withdrawn in the United States because in most cases they always put the person into jail. He got all of our tickets even doubting for other tickets because he was still convinced by himself that I was still going to Florida to get a work. I said that we only have tickets for New York and there were no other tickets for us. He got all our luggage and left. When he came back to us, he already told me that in less than an hour we will be flying back to Manila. He let me call my aunt but he refused of talking to her and I should be the one to explain everything that had happened. My aunt wanted to talk to him but he would refuse himself to talk to her. Being in a foreign land by me and my sister aged 23 years old and 22 years respectively, the fear, anxiety and being helpless are the most traumatic for both us. They forced us also to sign pages of statement upon our conversation which I didn’t have a chance to read because he didn’t let me read it. Again, in this case, I can’t do anything as I am afraid of my safeties. After signing the documents, we were escorted to the plane by the primary officer and the lady officer for our flight back Manila. My sister and I only had the chance to talk on the plane as we were both shocked with all the interrogations made to us. We both found out that they were twisting our stories and really forcing us to admit that we were there for work. We both stood strong with telling them that it was impossible to work there with a tourist visa. My sister was given a copy of the interview sheet, she had with the lady officer and she was shocked because there were statements that she really didn’t even said like going to Los Angeles and work there [see attached my sister’s statement in addition to my statement]. She only told the officer that she knew a few friends in LA but she really has no intention of working there. We were both disappointed with how they treated us at the immigration. They even reprimanded us liars because they were compelling us to admit something that really was not true. They forced us to sign a withdrawal form without the presence of an attorney or legal counsel or a witness for some advice, so that we will not be put to jail instead we will get back to Manila and the least they can do is to cancel our visas. The choice given to us was to sign the form or to be in jail for the next five years. But prior to this, the officer said that they will let my sister fly to New York because she admitted that she will work there, so I want to go to New York, all I need to do is to admit that I will really work there. Due to too much annoyance, humiliation and mixed emotions, I raised my voice and replied back to the officer, “okay - you can put me into jail as long as you have enough evidence as a proof of your accusation". The way they treated us was so unfair and we are really disappointed and a torture to both of us especially for me, because this was my first trip to the United States and I was given 10 years of visa for them to just cancel it without having enough evidence of what they are accusing us. I was really upset with their decision because I have really waited for this vacation only to be deported back to Manila with no sufficient facts/proof of what they are condemning us. I cannot possibly work there since I am contented and I have so much passion for my job in the Philippines doing a courtside reporter (considering that I have been doing it for the last four years) and other hosting jobs. There’s no relation working for neither my aunt nor uncle who happens to be both physical therapists because we were graduates of extremely different courses BS Sports Science and Nutrition & Dietetics. Both my sister and I were really frustrated with the discrimination and treatment we got from the immigration officers at the Detroit Immigration Department. Moreover, with how they twisted our statements only to prove themselves that we were guilty of something that was not true. They didn’t see any resumes or transcript of records on our luggage, emails, and even on my cell phone, thus, they don’t have enough evidence to condemn us to go back to Manila and to cancel our visas. The choice given to us to be put to jail or sign the withdrawal form seems to be unfair because they didn’t even want to talk to my aunt in New York regarding what they have let us done. They cannot even call us liars when they are the ones lying to get our stories twisted. This was really a traumatic experience for both me and my sister, and we certainly would want to appeal of how they discriminated us at Detroit Immigration Department. I am intelligent enough to know what’s legal and illegal and I firmly believe that what they have done to us are true and clear sign of DISCRIMINATION and UNREASONABLE judgment. I do solemnly swear to the best of my knowledge that the written statement above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. Yours Sincerely, Rheena Morales Villamor