month, is suffering from depression and has stopped eating, The Royal Gazette has learned.

And her nine-year-old cousin, who was with her, has recurring nightmares and a fear of being in a locked room.

This was revealed by Mrs. Jennie Trott -- the aunt of Tia-Lisa Harris and Ray Albert Eversely Jr. who were put back on a plane to Boston hours after they arrived on June 29 to spend a month with her.

Tia-Lisa's best friend and travelling companion Crystal Furtado was allowed to stay in Bermuda with Mrs. Trott.

Chief Immigration Officer Mr. Neville Smith last week explained the Barbadian children were stopped from entering Bermuda because they had declared themselves as US residents, but carried Barbadian passports with US visitors' visas.

Out of fear that they would not be allowed to return to the US in a month's time, Mr. Smith said the children -- with their parents' consent -- were sent back to the US on the same day.

And he added: "Immigration officers handled what was a difficult and unpleasant situation with tact and diplomacy''.

But in a letter to Mr. Smith, Tia-Lisa's mother accused him of committing a "grievous crime'' and Mrs. Trott said yesterday that neither she nor the children understood why they were denied entry.

She noted the children's parents had "green cards'' to be in the US and that the children visited Bermuda before with the same documentation they had last month.

Mrs. Trott said she even gave the parents green card numbers' to Immigration so the children could stay.

But she said this was to no avail and as a result of the experience Tia-Lisa was receiving treatment for depression.

"She is not eating. She's very depressed,'' Mrs. Trott said. "The child is already skinny and now she has lost five pounds.

"I think she is taking it hard because she told her friends that she was coming to here for the summer and now she is embarrassed and does not understand why she cannot come to Bermuda.

"I just hope she can get over this and start eating again. If she loses any more weight, I'm afraid they may have to put her in the hospital.'' Tia-Lisa's mother, Mrs. Shirley Bowen, confirmed that the children were suffering from depression in her letter to Mr. Smith.

"Tia is suffering from depression,'' she wrote in the July 6 letter.

"Ray is having recurring nightmares, screaming about being locked up.'' Mrs. Bowen claimed her children, who were "locked in a room unattended for an indefinite period and interrogated'', were treated worse than criminals.

"Dejected, tired, confused and suffering dramatic stress, two small children with plans of having lots of fun on the island were sent back to Boston without so much as a hug from their aunt Jennie,'' she wrote.

"After hearing of their plight, my only surprise is that they were not handcuffed.

"I don't know at this time, and without therapy, if Ray and Tia would ever want to travel to Bermuda or any other place unaccompanied. Travelling is something they have been doing for most of their young lives.'' Accusing Mr. Smith of committing a "grievous crime'', Mrs. Bowen said: "I was not aware that a visitors' visa is needed to enter Bermuda, or that children of this age could be treated in this manner. I am appalled.

"We are left with the delicate task of restoring Ray and Tia's faith in the human race and in justice.'' The letter was copied to Tourism Minister the Hon. C. V. (Jim) Woolridge, The Royal Gazette editor, the Barbados Tourist Board, and the US Justice Department.

Mr. Smith could not be reached for comment last night. Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman said he had not seen the letter and was therefore not in a position to comment.