Prisoner recounts questioning

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Akram Alfusayal was operating a small computer business in Kansas City, trying to make a living before returning to his native Yemen in four or five years.

He caused no trouble, but he was in the country illegally because his visa had expired after he graduated from Columbia College in May 2000.

No one seemed to notice until two weeks ago, when the FBI arrived at his door, asking questions about one of his customers. After about an hour of questions, he says the FBI told him he was not in trouble and left.

But hours later, Immigration and Naturalization Service agents showed up at a restaurant where he was eating and took him to jail. He says in the next two days he was given confusing and conflicting information about his rights and options.

Alfusayal, 30, sat in the Platte County jail for about two weeks, again hearing conflicting things about when he would be freed. Finally, on Tuesday, he had a 5-minute hearing in which he was allowed to post bond if he agreed to leave the country within 45 days.

Surprisingly, Alfusayal considers himself fortunate, compared to others -- mostly Arabs or Israelis -- who have been swept up in a national effort to find anyone connected to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"My case is lucky," he said. "I know of other people who were treated much worse and who sat in jail for a month. I was prepared to stay for a month at least, so I feel glad to be out already."

Alfusayal's story is similar to many being told across the country, after more than 1,000 people were detained in the terrorism investigation. Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday that about 550 people remain in custody on immigration violations, with some of those charged with other crimes.