A Frenchman detained by US immigration authorities recalled his month-long ordeal, describing handcuffs, long transfers, and overcrowded dormitories. 26-year-old Julien Pereira said the experience left him physically and emotionally drained, reports HuffPost. Pereira arrived in the United States at 17 with dreams of studying and playing tennis at a high level. Over seven years, he went through the student visa process, earning a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, before entering the workforce in Connecticut. “I had done everything by the book. I thought I was protected,” he said.After his final visa expired, Pereira was offered a job at a tennis club in Connecticut. The employer assured him that a work visa was being processed, handled by a New York lawyer. Pereira began working as he was confident in his legal status. In March 2025, he was abruptly told by his employer that an administrative issue had invalidated his visa. His lawyer urged him to leave the country immediately. Pereira was unable to secure a ticket to France and drove to the Canadian border. Canada refused him entry and returned him to the US, where he was detained by Customs and Border Protection.“I tried to explain my situation. I told them my visa application was in progress. They checked their database and told me there were no pending visa applications or applications. Therefore, I was in the country illegally,” he said.Pereira spent two and a half days at a detention centre in New York before being transferred by prison bus to a federal facility in Batavia, Illinois. He was handcuffed at his wrists, waist, and ankles. “They handcuffed me like a criminal. I told them I had no criminal record. They replied that it was standard procedure,” he said.At Batavia, Pereira was placed in a dormitory with 80 people, slept on a mattress on the floor, and the lights were never turned off. “We no longer have names. We’re just numbers. Their goal is to break you down,” he said. Food was insufficient and sometimes expired. In one month, Pereira lost seven kilos.After two weeks, he was transferred over 4,000 kilometres to a private detention centre in California. Transfers automatically cancelled ongoing court hearings, prolonging his detention. “Prisons are run by private companies that make money by keeping you in as long as possible. It’s a real prisoner factory. A private machine running at full capacity,” Pereira said.He was eventually released at 3:00 am at the Mexican border after posting $5,000 bail and wearing an electronic bracelet. “They removed the handcuffs and said, ‘This side is Mexico. The other is the United States.’ And that was it.” He had no money, documents, or working phone.Pereira finally appeared before a judge on April 15, 2025, and was allowed to leave the US with a one-month grace period to settle his affairs. “I love Americans. This country gave me a chance. But the system has become inhumane. And it’s now run by incompetents,” he said.
