We've recently discovered a new method to obtain an I-94 number by calling the INS office at any port of entry. An INS official will ask some questions about how you entered the US, where you are staying, etc., and will provide you with an I-94 form. Please try this method to obtain an I-94 number if you haven't been able to get one through other means. If your port of entry doesn't require you to have an I-94 form, they will tell you so. Thanks, Rudy, Ext. 35181 ----- Forwarded by Rudy Acevedo/HOU/ECT on 03/01/2001 05:08 PM ----- Theresa Staab@ENRON 03/01/2001 02:25 PM To: Rudy Acevedo/HOU/ECT@ECT cc: Jonathan McKay/CAL/ECT@ECT, Marci Manuchary/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Lisa Best/Corp/Enron@Enron, Mary Griff Gray/HOU/ECT@ECT, Brent Hendry/NA/Enron@Enron, Stacy E Dickson/HOU/ECT@ECT Subject: I94 Rudy, On Tues., Mar. 6th, I went to the Concordia Port of Entry. I crossed at 1:30 PM. The following are the times I arrived at various stations. 1:30 PM Arrived at Concordia, proceeded to Customs, filled out Canada customs paperwork, and handed it to a clerk in US Customs. 1:36 PM Waited in the regular line and gave my name to a Customs Inspector at the desk. 1:46 PM I was referred to a secondary inspector, where I was interviewed and requested to give a DNA sample and have my fingerprints taken. 2:25 PM My fingerprints were taken. I handed my drivers license to a clerk at this time. 2:30 PM I was referred back to the primary inspector. 2:40 PM I was told I could not enter the US unless I spoke to an officer at secondary. 2:45 PM I was referred back to the primary inspector. 2:50 PM I was told that they could not process me any further because I did not have a green card. 3:05 PM I was called over to a Port Official at which time he went over my I-94 arrival form and told me I could not come into the United States because I did not have a valid US visa. (Apparently, the official was mistaken and I do have a visa) I was obviously quite agitated. The Port Official said, "Well you have to fill out the form, and go to the back, then you can ask to speak to an immigration officer." At this point, he handed me the I-94 form, and I immediately said, "I don't have time to fill this out right now. I have something very important to do. You need to tell me what I need to do, so I can go back to my country." I was then told to go to the back of the line again, and wait for an immigration officer. 3:25 PM I arrived at the back of the line. There was another man ahead of me, who had already filled out the I-94 form and gone to the front of the line. 3:30 PM A man, whom I presume was an immigration officer, asked me to give him my address and phone number, which I did. 3:35 PM I was then told that I could not proceed to secondary because I did not have the appropriate number of entry stamps in my passport. 3:45 PM He told me that I could not enter the US until I had gone to the embassy and got a visa. I have a witness that can verify that she was standing behind me the entire time. I have the witnesses phone number and name. At this point I had been in the US for over 3 hours. They had given me one extension. I told him that I would go back to Mexico, and re-enter the US, only if I was granted the opportunity to talk to an immigration officer. I explained to him that I would never re-enter if I was going to have to undergo this ordeal again. He agreed to call the witnesses phone number to clear everything up. 3:50 PM A lady comes over to me and said, "You need to make a phone call." I said, "I do?" She says, "You need to call this number (talking to me) and talk to an immigration officer." I explain to her that I would like to speak to an immigration officer. She said she would see what she could do for me. 4:00 PM I told her again that I needed to get a visa for the US. She says that she does not have the authority to get me a visa and that she needs to talk to her boss. She left me waiting for over an hour and I tried talking to her boss, but he was a no help. At this point, I am beginning to believe that this whole thing was a scam. 4:20 PM I asked her why they did not call me in front of everybody in the line after the other gentleman who had filled out the I-94 form had come back to Mexico. She said, "The rules don't apply to him. He just re-entered Mexico for 30 days." 4:35 PM The supervisor finally got back with me and told me that he could not help me, and that I would have to call my own consulate in the US. 4:40 PM I tell him I did not know I needed a consulate. He says that the immigration officials wanted me to go back to Mexico, and come back through the front of the line with my visa. I asked him if I would have a better chance if I went back to Mexico, filled out the I-566 form and requested another visa. He said that there was no chance of that, and that I would not be allowed into the US. I asked him what I should do. He suggested that I go back to Mexico and try to come back again. I asked him how often he allowed people in that had crossed illegally and he said, "Not very often." I told him that, when I crossed the border at Iztacalco I had to pay $5 dollars to cross the border, but that these border agents told me that I was being singled out and that they were charging everybody $50. He said that I was being illegally detained and charged. I explained to him that I had only been in the US for three hours and he suggested that I go somewhere else to stay and that he would see what he could do to get my case reopened. 5:00 PM He finally agreed to stamp my passport, and let me into the US. 5:10 PM I told him, "I know you do not have the authority to do this, but I really have to get to New York this evening. Can you help me find a hotel room near the bus station?" He said, "The Hotel Aviance is about five minutes away, you can use the telephone in there to call and make a reservation." Later: I just spoke to the man at Aviance. He said that they could not help me in any way. He suggested that I look for a hotel closer to the border. He had no suggestions for the buses, only how to get into Mexico. He said that if I had the required amount of stamps in my passport I would be able to cross over. If you need any additional information, I will try to track down my witness. I will call you later. Please call me on my cell phone if you have any questions (281) 421-7528. Regards, Jeff