Christ First Discipleship Ministries

At about 1400 hours, 01-31-09, I was driving S/B on Highway 4 in Alberta, Canada, when I approached the USA Port of Entry at Sweet Grass, MT.

Upon pulling up to the checkpoint window, I presented my birth certificate, drivers license, R-1 visa [I-94] card valid from 10/05/2007 to 10/04/2010 to the U.S. Border Patrol agent. I also presented the birth certificate and driver license of Sandy Shuffler who was occupying the front passenger seat in my vehicle. The officer at the check-in window kept our documents and asked me to to park in the parking lot and then come inside the U.S. Border Patrol/Immigration building through the main entrance. Sandy and I complied.

I would like to make it clear that the following events occurred from about 1400 hours until about 2100 hours. I do not wear a watch and I did not have access to any clocks during this ordeal. Consequently, I am unable to accurately state exactly when each event occurred or for exactly how long, but the entire tortuous process lasted for about 7 hours.

After a time of waiting in the main waiting area inside, I was called up to the main counter by Officer Scott. He said that he needed to figure out why I was issued another I-94 card by the Department of Homeland Security for the time period of October 2007 - October 2010.

He stated that I was denied entrance into the U.S. at the Sweet Grass Port of Entry when I applied for a second visa in 2003. I stated this was not true. I explained that I had applied to the INS for a variance of status requesting permission to work in a part-time position in 2002-2003. That variance was denied because I did not fill out the correct form.

During this discussion at the counter, I explained to Officer Scott that the first I-94, R-1 visa was issued at Sweet Grass, Montana border crossing valid from September 2002 to September 2005. Another I-94, R-1 visa was issued at Sweet Grass, Montana border crossing valid from October 2005 to October 2007. In April or May of 2007, Kingman First Assembly of God Church applied to the Department of Homeland Security for an extension of 3 more years (I-94 & R-1 visa) so that I could continue my work in ministry. In December of 2008, the Department of Homeland Security approved this extension of time.

Officer Scott went to his computer desk for a period of time while I was standing at the counter. When he returned, I was asked to fill out a form stating the dates of entry into the USA. I took out my expired Canadian passport and wrote the dates, etc. on the statement sheet. Officer Scott asked to look at my expired Canadian passport. This expired passport was not used as a port of entry document. My daughter (Tiya-Laine) had changed the (7) on 2007 to read 2009. I explained this to Officer Scott when he was viewing my expired passport. He went back to his computer monitor.

When Officer Scott returned, he said "Lisa, come with me." He was on one side of the counter and I was on the other. He led me to a locked door leading into a glass partitioned room. He unlocked the door electronically from his side of the counter so that I could enter the room. Once inside the room, there was still a counter separating Officer Scott from me and there was a bench directly across from the counter.

Officer Scott told me to come to one of the computer monitors at the counter. He put me under oath and then asked me a series of questions. He was trying to prove I was in the USA illegally from 2003 to 2005. I denied his claim and stated that I was issued an R-1(3) year visa from September 2002 to September 2005 followed by a 2 year visa issued from October 2005 to October 2007. In April or May of 2007, the Church applied to the DHS for an extension. I explained to Officer Scott that a DHS agent from Las Vegas, who investigated the application, spoke with me and other members of the Kingman First Assembly of God Church staff prior to approving the visa for a 3 year period of time [October 2007 to October 2010].

After asking me a series of questions under oath, Officer Scott walked away without saying anything to me. He went to the other end of the counter in the public waiting room area as I remained standing at the counter for an extended period of time.

When Officer Scott returned, he put me under oath again and began asking me questions. He accused me of altering the dates on the documents and claimed that I had changed the (3) on 2003 to a (5) to read 2005. I denied the accusations again. Officer Scott became angry and frustrated with me for not answering the questions the way that he wanted them answered. He threatened several times to call the Attorney General to have me arrested. He did not explain to me what an Attorney General is or what the reason for my arrest would be.

Officer Scott used the "F" word and various other profanities as he walked away without explanation. I was left standing alone at the counter again.

When Officer Scott returned, he took me outside of the locked glass area, past where Sandy was sitting, across the public waiting room area, and into an interrogation room where another officer joined him.

I could tell by looking through the windows as I passed the main entrance that several hours had passed since we arrived. It was starting to get dark outside.

When I took a seat in this interrogation room, the other officer was seated across the desk from me while Officer Scott stood next to him.

I was relieved to be able to sit down. I was in a lot of pain. My legs and hips were aching.

The officers interrogated me in a very harsh manner. I was yelled at repeatedly and their language was littered with a variety of profanity. They called me a liar as they tried to get me to admit to having resided in the USA illegally from 2003 to 2005. The two officers asked me "Where is your Bible"? I stated "it is in the car." They both said "The Church is in big trouble for going along with this scheme." I asked "what scheme?" but they did not answer me.

The officers said "you must get a big paycheck too." I told them that I am a disabled, self supporting Canadian with Multiple Sclerosis who is doing pastoral missionary work in the U.S. I shared that one part of the ministry work involves reaching out to and helping people with drug & alcohol additions get into residential rehabilitation programs. Both officers responded "What do you tell the people you minister to about lying? You are lying to us. What does the Bible say about lying? What does the Bible say about confessing your sins?"

It became obvious to me that no matter what I said they were going to twist it around and attempt to use it against me. They obviously did not care that I told them I am disabled. They remained verbally abusive throughout this entire ordeal.

They said "We can tell by looking deep in to your eyes that there is something you want to tell us." I stated "there is nothing to tell you that I have not already told you. I have done nothing wrong." Officer Scott said "Do you see how you qualify everything you say?"

During this time of interrogation, the officer with Officer Scott went through the contents of my wallet. He asked if I go by any other names. I said "No." He questioned receipts that I had in my wallet including a receipt for a motel room in El Paso, TX from November 2008. He asked "What were you doing in El Paso?" I stated "I went to El Paso with my daughter and for ministry."

The officer asked about some business cards I had in my wallet. The business cards read "Our Leaders Have Lied." The officers said "See, it states right here of the lies.That is quite the Church you are with." At this point, it seemed as though they were trying to create something from nothing and were making assumptions. I was in tears and physically exhausted during the time I was in this room with the officers.

Prior to leaving the room, I was told by Officer Scott that I was being banned from the U.S. for 5 years and that I would have a felony record. There was no explanation about why I was being banned or what I was being charged with.

After the time spent in the interrogation room, Officer Scott escorted me back to the locked glass interview room. Once I was in the locked room, Officer Scott left me standing alone at the counter again.

While I was alone in the glass interview room, a handcuffed man in his 30's was escorted by several officers and placed in the room with me. There was mention that he was suspected of being armed and dangerous. Once this man was in the room with me, the officers removed his handcuffs and then left. I could not believe that this group of armed and trained Border Patrol officers considered this man to be such a danger that they handcuffed him and escorted him as a group to this locked area where I was standing, but then they gave absolutely no consideration for my safety as they left me alone to fend for myself. These "heroes" were extremely concerned for their own safety, but not at all concerned for mine.

There were no officers at the counter, or in the room, at this time. The officers were at the other end of the building. I could not see them. I feared for my safety.

While still standing at the counter, I started to talk to the man in the room with me in an attempt to settle him down, he was very shaken up. I sat down on the bench and started talking with him. He was from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan traveling to Yuma, Arizona with his children and elderly mother. He was horrified by what he had just experienced and horrified that his small children watched as he was arrested.

After about 30 minutes in the room alone with me, an officer came into the glass room and apologized to this man. The officer said that it was a case of "mistaken identity." This man's family was now inside the building, visible through the glass and standing at the counter. This man was released from the locked glass room and he joined his family at the counter in the public waiting area while the officers spoke to him and his family.

This man told me prior to leaving the glass holding area that he would never again travel to the U.S. or help his elderly mother travel to her winter home in Yuma, Arizona. He was very angry that his elderly mother and his young children had witnessed such a terrifying event.

Officer Scott returned to the computer monitor at the counter. He put me under oath for the third time and then he asked me a series of questions.

At this point, I was exhausted from the hours of standing, questions, interrogation and them pressuring me to tell them what they wanted to hear, I was in so much emotional and physical pain I just wanted to leave. In tears, I caved in, answered the questions vaguely the way he wanted me to answer them out of fear that they would keep me there standing in pain for several more hours, until I told them what they wanted to hear.

I was then digitally finger printed, photographed and told to sign the statement of questions that I had been asked. When Officer Scott was trying to print the statement for me to sign he had problems with the printer. He had to call tech support, which delayed the process even further as I was left standing at the counter again.

Once the statement was printed and I was told to sign it, I was taken back into the main area, where I took a seat beside Sandy. After about 30 minutes, Sandy and I were both called up to the counter in the public waiting area. Officer Scott explained to Sandy that I was being banned for 5 years from entering the United States. I asked if I have the right to appeal. Officer Scott said "Yes, there is an appeal process. I will give you information about this before you leave." I asked him if he would be getting my I-94 card for 2002 - 2005 out of their archive records. He said "Yes." I said "Good, because it will prove to you that you are wrong."

Officer Scott then warned Sandy not to try to enter the country with me. I asked him "what I am suppose to do as everything I own is in Arizona."

Officer Scott stated that I "would have to get a Broker to pack it up and ship it to me."

Officer Scott explained to Sandy and I that he had to escort us through the parking lot to the adjacent Canadian side of the Border Crossing. He left to go to his vehicle and we went to ours. He did not give us any information about the appeal process.

We drove across the U.S. Border Patrol parking lot to the check-in window on the Canadian side of the border. I explained to the Canadian Border Patrol Officer at the window that I had been denied entrance in to the U.S., that I needed to come inside and present documents at the Immigration counter.

I parked the car in the parking lot. Sandy and I entered the Canadian side Coutts, Alberta port of entry through the main doors. We waited in line at the Canadian Immigration counter, presented to the Officer at the counter, the documents stating I am banned from entry in to the U.S. About an hour later, we were cleared to leave the Canadian border. The Canadian Immigration officer asked us where we were going. We told him "Medicine Hat." He warned us that the road conditions were very poor with blizzard like conditions and snow drifts across the highway. He advised us to travel slowly and safely.

Sandy and I drove to Medicine Hat, Alberta where my daughter was residing. Sandy stayed with me in a motel for 2 nights. We spent this time discussing the border event and trying to come up with a plan to deal with my responsibilities in Kingman, Arizona.

On Monday morning Sandy awoke early. I helped her pack her belongings in to my car. I could not keep the car in Canada as the documents I needed to import the car into Canada were in Kingman, Arizona.

Alone, Sandy drove back down to Sweet Grass, MT again to cross in to the U.S.A.

My car is still in Arizona with a friend. My pet dog is being cared for by friends. My personal items, and effects remain in my house in Arizona.

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