Help needed desperately
Donation protected
*******PLEASE HELP ME AND SHARE THIS*********
My name is Kaley McDonagh-Donnelly. I am a Canadian citizen that was here on a TN visa. I received a job offer for a new employer in Dallas. I was told to drive to a land border closest to me to complete the new TN visa. I have multiple emails with CBP and with USCIS to corroborate this, including record numbers for the inquiry. As instructed I drove to the land border at Eagle Pass. I spoke to CBP Officer Kirby who advised me to walk halfway across the bridge and then line up to speak to a CBP agent. He also advised that he used to work at the Port Huron location and that TN visas were issued here. Upon entry into the facility, I spoke with Officer Vargas who told me that TN Visas were not issued here. I asked to speak to a supervisor. Officer Moldanado-Guerra refused to even listen to me and left me standing in the middle of the waiting room while I was trying to explain. I left the facility and called CBP and USCIS who advised me to try Bridge 2. I called over to Bridge 2 prior to driving there and the officer I spoke with was speaking with Chief McGehee. As per this officer, Chief McGhee told me to come to Bridge 2. I did as instructed. I was brought into a small metal building and provided all of my documentation to R. Fernandez. He reviewed all of my documents and spoke with the Chief. It was at this time that they started a very inappropriate and derogatory conversation about me in Spanish. Officer Fernandez returned, asked me more questions eluding to the fact that this was going to be processed and at the very end said no. When I asked the reason why this was not going to be processed, I was told it was because I did not have a 797. When I advised them I did not need a 797 because I was the applicant and it was not my employer completing the I-129 they would not listen. I even referenced the case law and the US STATE DEPT 9 FAM 402.17 USMCA PROFESSIONALS DOCUMENT. They refused to listen. At this point, I became emotional and asked for the reason I was being denied. I was told that it was because I did not have a 797 and they provided me a photo on one of the officers cell phones (I have a picture of this). I asked where the document was from and was told it was CRF. When I said that the document I had was from USCIS I was told by the Chief “I dont take orders from them.” I was then surrounded by 4 male CBP agents (including the chief) and intimidated while I was crying. I walked to my car and called CBP. The officer named Tori escalated this issue to a complaint department and provided me with information to ask for a Watch Commander. I called back to both borders and did as instructed and was told by Chief McGehee and Shift supervisor Muldanado-Guerra they didn’t have a watch commander. I attempted to obtain information for the Port Director Pete Beattie and was denied this information. The entire experience was so bad that I filed a police report with the Eagle Pass police department. The area that I was in was extremely unsafe and as a single female I was told by the police to stay at a certain hotel. I spent the night sleepless, barricaded in my hotel room. The following morning, I called the Del Rio location and spoke to Shift Supervisor White. I was told to come to that location and that they would review my documents. I did as instructed. When I got to the booth Officer Bishop instructed me to pull into the facility. I did as instructed and left my vehicle there. Upon entering the facility, Officer Grano and another officer who did not have a name tag began to review my documents. It was then that the phone rang and Officer Grano was told by the Eagle Pass location that I was “Port Shopping”. Officer Grano said that they put a nester (sp”?) on my passport which flagged it and then called over. Neither officer reviewing my documents understood why this was being done, why Eagle Pass wouldn’t process it or what happened because I had everything required to issue this visa. I asked to speak to Shift Supervisor White. She did not attend and instead Officer Pullinam did. She was aggressive and condescending immediately. She was focused on my existing visa which was expiring March 1, 2025 instead of the new visa I required to begin my position on January 2nd, 2025. When she asked questions I answered them but she refused to listen. I had been unlawfully detained by CBP in August 2022. It resulted in CPTSD diagnosis which requires medication management. In August 2022 I attempted to go to a motorcycle race in Wisconsin to celebrate my 40th birthday with my friends. On the way down to the border, I stopped and saw 3 patients. (I own an aesthetics company) It made no sense logistically to travel to see my patients 2 hours, then have to drive hours home only to drive past again on my way to the border. Instead, I stopped and saw my patients and continued on to the border to cross and attend the motorcycle event. When asked by the agent what my work kit was I was honest and told him. He asked why I had it and I explained the situation. It was at this time that 8 agents surrounded my vehicle the back doors were opened and the dogs jumped in. I was escorted to the building where I was detained for 4 hours. An officer there began yelling at me and at two of his fellow officers for being friendly and accused me of trying to work in the USA illegally. I explained that this was not the case and provided them the information regarding my CGFNS application and visa screen that was in the middle of being processed. It was at this time that the officer said he wanted to search my telephone. I declined saying that I was unable to allow that due to the fact that my patient files and photos were on my phone. They refused to listed and told me I would be arrested, my vehicle and telephone seized for 90 days and that I had no choice but to provide my passcode. I asked to speak to my lawyer to see if this would be considered a HIPAA violation. They refused to allow me to speak to my lawyer. I had no choice but to provide the pass code. 45 mins later 4 officers came out of the room and apologized saying that they knew I was telling the truth but that they still could not let me through with my work kit. I was 5 hours from the border and the work kit had 10k worth of supplies so I couldn’t leave it. I asked them if this would jeopardize my Nexus and they said no they would write details in there and it would be fine. I collected my passport and left. While driving home the hood of my vehicle flew open and I nearly got into an accident. When home I noticed that my truck had been scratched and my work kit had been damaged. I called and spoke with CBP and they advised me to file a report which I did and to return to the location to complete it. I was unable to do that as I reside 5 hours from the border one way. From that day forward, my Nexus was revoked and I was forced to be secondary searched every single time I crossed the border. It was so traumatizing and violating that it caused complex PTSD that I require medication for.
Given the treatment that I had experienced yesterday and the previous issue with CBP agents in August 2022 I was very shaken up. Officer Pullinam began yelling at me while I was seated. I told her I needed a minute. She continued to yell. I began to have a panic attack. This panic attack was the worst one I have ever had. I was unable to breathe, hyperventilating, my vitals were double what my baseline was. I asked for a nurse. The nurse came and was not effective at managing the symptoms, in fact at times she exacerbated them and used my son who was home alone as a means for me “to be a good mom and get it together.” I asked to be taken to a room instead of having to be put on display in front of dozens of people while I was having a medical emergency. I was declined this right and told that the only room I could go to would be a cell which would result in an officer having to bodily search me. I asked to speak to a lawyer. I was declined this right. I asked to speak to the Canadian consulate, I was declined this right. I was then told that if I did not comply and allow Officer Pullinam to search my phone, that I would be arrested, detained, immediately deported and that my 13 year old special needs son would be seized by social services and brought to whatever facility I would be at. It was at this point that the panic attack became unmanageable for me to deal with and I asked for an ambulance. I was then told that if I went into the ambulance that two officers would escort me to the hospital. I would be under guard and that my visa revoked. It only worsened the panic attack. They kept saying they needed to search my phone-I told them I couldn’t allow that because of HIPAA. They refused to listen and said “they wouldn’t look.”
The ambulance took well over an hour to get there, because they didn’t call when I initially asked. I was told that my visa was being cancelled and that I had 14 days to vacate the country. They left my son’s visa intact. I am his only guardian. I own a home here, I just rented an apartment for my job in Dallas and my son goes to school here. I am his only guardian and family. We have no where to go in Canada and all of my money is tied up in the USA. My entire life has been shattered because of this experience and I am at risk of losing my job, my homes and everything I have worked for, over absolutely nothing. I was taken to the hospital via ambulance and had to be sedated due to the condition I was in. I was discharged at 7pm ad had to Uber back to the facility. I was instructed to go inside. I was so scared that I had my Uber driver Vladymi come inside with me. I was told that I needed to sign paperwork. I asked what I was signing and I was not provided an answer. I was told that I was not getting my keys back until I signed and whenI asked to see on the screen what I was signing I was denied that request. I asked for a list of the names of the officers I was dealing with that day and I was denied. It was at this time that the officer who was actually kind to me told me that I needed to retain a lawyer because none of this should have ever happened in the first place and I needed to sue CBP.
I need help desperately. Please help me.
To make matters worse I wasn't even out of the hospital an hour before I wrote off a brand new Audi because a wild hog ran in front of me, that meant another trip via ambulance to the hospital where the ambulance proceeded to break a fuel line and we were stranded on the side of the road.
Organizer
Amanda Sawaged
Organizer
Orange Beach, AL