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63 yr old family man detained in Alligator Alcatraz

MaryJoLisa

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'He wants to leave': Daughter says man being held at 'Alligator Alcatraz' wants to self-deport

Fernando Artese had plans to voluntarily leave the country before he was arrested last month for driving with a suspended license, his daughter said.
www.nbcmiami.com

Basically, this guy holding dual citizenship from Argentina and Italy has been living here in the US for the past 10 years. He overstayed his visitor visa. (I think the 10 year count is the time he was here illegally). His past criminal history is not mentioned in any of the news reports I've seen, but for the purpose of this conversation, let's assume he has no past criminal record.

He gets pulled over, likely for speeding, and is ticketed for not having a driver's license. He skips the court date and is pulled over a few months later, and is arrested because there's a bench warrant out for him.

This guy is sent to Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial facility in the Florida Everglades that is supposed to be for the worst of the worst criminals.

The family claims that they were headed to California to self-deport to Argentina through Mexico. They were then going to live in Spain, where the daughter was born, and planned to go to college. The man lives in South Florida and he was arrested in Melbourne, which is a few hours north of Miami. He's also driving an RV, which is relevant to the story.

The daughter starts a go fund me page to raise money for a lawyer because she wants her dad to be released so he can proceed to self deport, but apparently ICE will allow detainees to self-deport at their own expense to the country of their choosing. The father says in phone calls home that the conditions in Alligator Alcatraz constitute a violation of basic human rights and he says they asked him if he wanted to leave the country, but he's been denied access to an attorney to understand his rights and options.

Please share your thoughts on this story. I'd like to hear what you all think about this man having been sent to Alligator Alcatraz in the first place based on the assumption that he's not the worst of the worst. Does it sound reasonable that his family was really trying to self-deport, or does that sound like a story they made up in an effort to get him released? Even if they were really on their way to Mexico, should that even matter to ICE officials, especially after remaining illegally for a decade?
 
In summary, my thoughts come down to this: he's in the US illegally and should be deported.
 

Very confusing story. Apparently, the entire family is in the US illegally and were planning to self-deport “by the end of the year”, yet only the father has been detained. BTW, the OP link made no mention of an RV.
 
NatMorton said:
In summary, my thoughts come down to this: he's in the US illegally and should be deported.
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Detaining is better. That way there are financial kickbacks from private prison contractors.
 
NatMorton said:
No, deporting is better.
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For you, not for those getting kickbacks.

Why else are they going to build so many detention facilities?
 
NatMorton said:
No, deporting is better.
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Encouraging self-deportation is best, which is why congress should pass an eVerify mandate, coupled with changes to the FIT code, allowing the IRS to act as the primary enforcement mechanism. Once the US (W-2 and 1099) employment ‘magnet’ is removed, many (if not most) illegal aliens would elect to self-deport.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Very confusing story. Apparently, the entire family is in the US illegally and were planning to self-deport “by the end of the year”, yet only the father has been detained. BTW, the OP link made no mention of an RV.
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Good catch. I've been piecing together the story from a few reports. The first link covers the RV.

Local News - Family’s Cross-Country Journey Shattered After Father Detained in Controversial Florida Facility | OID

onlyindade.com

 

OK, that adds a criminal history (FTA for prior unlicensed traffic stop and being caught again driving without a license) of the illegal alien detainee to the mix. It also mentioned other (than the mother and daughter trying to raise funds) family members, yet didn’t mention their immigration status.
 
I don't always hide from the authorities, but when I do, I drive like I should get pulled over by the authorities.

I don't believe they were about to self-deport. It's too convenient a story now that he's been caught.

But as far as Alligator Alcatraz goes, I don't think treating criminals like animals is the way to go about it. Especially not for non-violent illegals. A hard-nosed deportation policy is enough of a deterrent IMO; there's no need to be a dick about it too.
 
Where would you like these people housed while they await deportation? Your place?
 
Fletch said:
Where would you like these people housed while they await deportation? Your place?
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As if there's no other choice but a place like Alligator Alcatraz lol.

Detention facilities are fine but basic human rights are still called for. They don't have to be put up in the Hilton in order to have showers, toilets, and unspoiled food to eat.
 
"Yes, Your Honor, I did commit bank robberies repeatedly along with my family members. But it was my plan all along to stop and never rob another bank again; I just got caught first. All I am asking of the Court today is allow me to stop violating the law on my own."
 
100%. I have a lot of trouble feeling sympathetic for this family because they put themselves in this position. But we don't have to be dicks about it. A detention camp is one thing, but this place sounds horrible and inhumane. That's not acceptable either.

The family could have registered to self-deport, gotten a stipend when they got out of the country, and they would have been deprioritized for arrest and formal deportation proceedings. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/05...stance-and-stipend-voluntary-self-deportation

We're supposed to just trust that they were indeed on their way out, and not on their way to Disney World, and that after a track record a decade long of thumbing their noses at US law, this time they're really leaving.
 
NatMorton said:
They need to be somewhere while due process takes its course.
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And that somewhere needs to honor basic human rights, clean water and food, showers, access to lawyers etc
 
Grand Mal said:
Gee, if only there was something in between concentration camp and spare bedroom?
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If only you libs would stop using stupid, incendiary and dishonest words like 'concentration camp.' But that would require more honesty than the typical liberal is capable of.
 
Fletch said:
If only you libs would stop using stupid, incendiary and dishonest words like 'concentration camp.' But that would require more honesty than the typical liberal is capable of.
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Do you know what the term means?
Hint- it has to do with why the facility exists, not the nature of it's existence.
And your snarky bullshit is flat-out dishonest.
 
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