Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) coach Renato Subotic was detained for 24 hours and sent to prison due to a visa issue after he touched down in the United States.
Speaking about the incident on Instagram, Mr Subotic revealed he came to the US to coach a seminar, when at the border he was stopped by the immigration officers. He said immigration pulled him aside and took him to an isolated room where they questioned him for almost three hours.
The head coach of the MMA Australian National Team said that despite cooperating and explaining everything, the officials said there was a mistake with his visa. Officials then took him to jail "until they figured out what's next."
He said, "Just like that. No clear explanation, no chance to talk to anyone, and no rights. They handcuffed me, put me in a car, and drove me to federal prison."
Mr Subotic added that they took off his clothes and gave him jail attire. "They stripped me of everything. Took my clothes, gave me jail clothes, fingerprinted me, took photos, searched me. Gave me a blanket and sheet," he added.
After he was taken to his block, he saw people screaming, fighting over food and running around. After putting his belongings on a mattress covered in blood and urine, he was led to a place where he was given food.
He said when he came back to his cell, he saw two people stealing his belongings. "We had a fight. I got my stuff back. The other one ran out of the cell, screaming, the people in the nearby cells came to watch what was going on. When the guards rushed up, no one said anything," he added.
After being treated badly in the US, the Australian coach is now thinking about taking legal action. "Now I'm back in Australia, I'll speak with my lawyers. Something has to be done about the way I was treated. Hope this never happens to anybody else," he said.
Shortly after assuming office in January, US President Donald Trump began a crackdown on illegal immigrants. He signed several executive orders to kickstart the mass deportation of illegal immigrants from the US.
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