'Alligator Alcatraz' detainee says he 'hasn't seen the sun for 10 days' amid allegations of 'torturous' conditions
An Italian inmate who is banged up in Florida's so-called 'Alligator Alcatraz' claims he 'hasn't seen the sun' in 10 days as he made a string of shocking allegations around the conditions of the prison.
Capable of housing up to 3,000 individuals, this freshly constructed detention facility for immigrants is situated in the Big Cypress National Preserve of the Everglades - pinching its nickname from the reptiles that surround it in their swampy habitat.
The facility was built in just eight days, but problems have already started to surface.
Just weeks after US president Donald Trump's visit amid his clamp down on immigration, a man named Gaetano Mirabella Costa has spoken to Italian state TV direct from the prison.
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And he had nothing but tales of torture to share.
"We're in cages like chickens, 32 people with three open toilets, everyone can see everything," he shared. "I don't know what I'm accused of and I can't speak with a lawyer or even a judge. Can the Italian authorities please help me to get out of this nightmare?"
Costa, who originates from Sicily, finds himself in the facility after being slapped with a short jail sentence for assault, drug possession and domestic violence.
'I haven't seen the sun for 10 days'
His mother, Rosanna Vitale, claimed that her son had been transported to court with his feet and hands shackled 'like a dog'.
She noted: "The situation is very tough. He said, 'Mum, I haven't seen the sun for 10 days.' We still haven't been contacted by anyone to deal with this situation but we will do everything possible to get him back — we hope soon."
Meanwhile, a second Italian detainee, Fernando Artese, has come forward and spoke to the Tampa Bay Times about the horrendous conditions there.
'This is a concentration camp'
The 63-year-old had overstayed his 90-day travel visa by close to a decade before being incarcerated last month.
"This is a concentration camp," he told the publication. "They treat us like criminals — it's a pursuit of humiliation. We're all workers and people fighting for our families."
Back in 2018, Artese's family (including wife Monica Riveira and teenage daughter Carla) joined him in the city of Hialeah, where the father installed cameras for a living. He was eventually stopped by police while trying to leave the country in their mobile home.
'They can't go outside'
Carla has since launched a GoFundMe page in honour of her dad's plight, raising over $7,000 of the $10,000 target.
A description for the appeal reads: "This year, we were trying to leave the USA, and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] got him and sent him to Alligator Alcatraz, where they treat them like criminals and [they] have no rights.
"They haven't given him any information about his case or any right to an attorney. Not to mention, they haven't added him to the system yet, so he doesn't even appear like an inmate anywhere."
According to the 19-year-old, her dad wanted to 'self-deport when they let him'.
"He is a hard worker who only wanted to leave the country with his family after paying taxes and working hard the whole time he's been here!" she added.
Speaking to the Italian publication Corriere della Sera, Carla claimed Fernando is one of the lucky ones because he has access to his medicines.
"Many don't have medicine and there’s not much food," she said. "They can't sleep at night because the lights are on 24 hours a day. They can't see the sun, they can't go outside."
Topics: Donald Trump, Crime, Immigration
Dan Seddon