I am sending you this message to describe the whole conditions under which we 10 SUTA reunion participants spent on 3rd and 4th of August, 2006.

As soon as we stepped out of the gate from flight LH454 on 08.03.06 at about 1230 P.M., INS officers gathered us in a corner and guided to immigration office of SFO airport. They told us that our visas had been revoked by State Department and they were not aware of the reason. They claimed to be surprised of no advance notification to us. They gave us two options to take: withdraw our visa application voluntarily and leave US on next available flight or refer to judge and be deported that would lead not to apply for US visa for at least five years. All of us took the first option. After being questioned and recording sworn statement, they told us that they were trying to find places to return us on Lufthansa flight via Munich that evening. The attempt failed. Afterwards, they told us that they had succeeded to arrange for our return on the next day at 1400 from San Francisco to Frankfurt. Two of us whose return ticket in hand had been booked from New York, were asked to pay for the cost difference.

Then, we were asked to pass our valuable things such as money, rings, watches or jewelry since we were going to spend the night in a detention center, probably with illegal immigrants. Our protests were not found effective and they announced that they were not able to hold us in the airport for the whole night since SFO was not a 24-hour airport. However, they reassured us that we would be kept separated from others.

At about 6 or 7 P.M. two other participants arrived. After being exposed to same procedure as ours, they were lucky enough to find seats to return immediately.

INS offered us to have some soup to dine upon our request for food. Further to our denial, they took our orders to buy us food from airport's restaurant on our own expense. This made us feel better. At about 9 or 10 we were moved to another INS office in the SFO airport where we were asked to give in our shoe laces, belts, pens and any other belonging regardless of its value. Another SUTA reunion participant named Arezoo was waiting in this office under very bad physical and mental condition. She felt so glad to join a group with similar destiny.

After about an hour two ICE officers came with sets of handcuffs to transfer us to jail. They announced that they understood we did not deserve to spend the night in jail but since there was no other place to hold us in the airport, they had to that. Fortunately they decided not put handcuffs to ladies' hands. They also recommended us not to argue with the jail officers since they were more restricted than INS and it might worsen our situation.

We spent a terrible night in a correction center near San José, as they declared, located about an hour south of airport on 101 highway. However, the ladies were transferred to another jail at about 6 in the morning (this time with handcuffs on) and moved back at about 800. We were back to the airport at about 0930 or 1000, all with handcuffs and waist chains. After handing our belongings back to us, once again they took our orders to buy us lunch. At about 1200 or 1230 and after having the lunch suddenly they took us to another place to wait for the boarding passes of flight 455 to Frankfurt. We found out that 15 other SUTA reunion participants were arriving on the similar flight of ours that day, 08.04.06 and INS officers did not want the two groups face each other. After about 30 or 40 minutes they took us to the gate where six of the just arrived ones joined us to take the same flight back to Frankfurt. We don't know what happened to the other nine.

It is worthy to mention that INS officers performed two completely different behaviors to us. Their personal behavior was totally polite in spite of their functional behavior which was in the contrary and disrespectful.

Obviously, we have deserved to be notified by the consular officers about the visa cancellation in advance. Frankfurt security officers could have prevented our departure if notified.

On behalf of these ten classmates and family members (named here-under) and all other SUTA reunion participants under more or less similar conditions, I request you to arrange for a petition to sue DoS for humiliation and mistreatment executed to us. We have undergone various vast casualties mainly spiritual and financial further to waste of time and probable impacts to our future applications for traveling abroad. I have read in the news that you are hiring two attorneys to review and follow up our issues. Please let me know if any further information is required to be provided or any further actions can be performed.

Finally once again I would like to acknowledge and appreciate all members of SUTA board's and especially your efforts for the good and benefit of SUTA and its members.