Alligator Alcatraz was hell, says Montrealer detained by ICE | The Corner Booth

Douglas Dixon knew about Alligator Alcatraz, the infamous immigration detention centre in Florida operated by ICE. But never in his wildest imagination did he think he’d end up there in shackles.

Now back in his native Montreal after 21 years in the United States following his deportation, Dixon shared his harrowing story with hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on the latest episode of The Corner Booth from Snowdon Deli.

“My whole life turned upside down,” Dixon said.

Douglas Dixon said he never encountered another Canadian during the nine days he spent at Alligator Alcatraz. (Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette) Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette

Dixon lived with his family in Florida. He and his wife had their green cards and ran their own café. What started as a traffic stop over a warrant for unpaid taxes led to him landing in the South Florida Detention Facility, known as Alligator Alcatraz. Montreal-based private security giant GardaWorld reportedly helps staff at this immigration detention facility.

“ They don’t tell you where you’re going. So we left there in a van that you couldn’t see outside, and we’re all shackled. Any time they’re moving you, you’re in handcuffs and leg cuffs.

“So they drive us to this place, they open the door and, oh my gosh, we’re at Alligator Alcatraz. I couldn’t really believe that’s where they took us.”

He spent nine days at the detention centre, which he described as “hell.” He and the other detainees — he never encountered another Canadian during his experience — were put in cages that he called “inhumane” and “dirty.”

“I couldn’t really believe that’s where they took us,” Douglas Dixon said on this week’s episode of The Corner Booth. (Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette) Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette

Dixon said he’s still suffering mentally from his time there.

“ I’m not sleeping properly. I sort of have to block certain things out or I’ll just emotionally be destroyed.”

The other difficulty he’s contending with in the wake of his detention and deportation: his wife and children, along with the life they built over two decades in America, were left behind. And Dixon is faced with finding his way in a place he’s hasn’t lived in for two decades.

 ”I’m trying to just get my regular life started again,” he said. “It’s like starting from scratch.”

The Corner Booth is also available on The Gazette’s YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.

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