Reality TV star Melany ‘Mel’ Viljoen has opened up about the traumatic experience she endured while being held in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. She described the ordeal as one of the darkest periods of her life.
Also see: SEE: Mel Viljoen released from ICE custody, shares first picture
Mel recently returned to South Africa after a US immigration judge granted her voluntary departure following months of legal and immigration challenges. Her husband, Petrus ‘Peet’ Viljoen, is expected to return at a later stage.
Former The Real Housewives of Pretoria star did not hold back when reflecting on her detention experience, saying the conditions left her deeply traumatised.
“First thoughts were a deep gratitude for not dying inside Donald Trump’s torture camps,” said Mel to IOL about the moment she found out she would be released.
“I was in hell but kept going and escaped before the devil knew I was there.”
Mel was initially detained at the Broward Transitional Centre in Pompano Beach, Florida, and later transferred to the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Denver, Colorado.
“I was not in a detention centre. I was in Auschwitz.”
“Detention centres have access to open air, tablet access 24/7, medical care, and food that is not roadkill. Hitler would be proud of Trump,” she said.
Also see: Mel and Peet Viljoen open up about life behind bars
Mel Viljoen’s life behind detention walls
According to Mel, she was first detained at the Broward Transitional Centre in Florida before being transferred to a detention facility in Colorado. She described overcrowded holding cells, limited movement, poor-quality food, and a lack of basic comforts.
She claimed detainees were forced to sleep in difficult conditions and had little access to outdoor spaces. The reality star said the emotional toll of the experience was just as severe as the physical challenges.
Mel alleged that she was frequently subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation while in custody, adding that she remains emotionally scarred by what she experienced.
“I was tortured, abused, and ridiculed on a daily basis. I was underfed, screamed at, and reminded that this would continue until I surrendered and agreed to be deported. The holding cell was crowded. No shower. Open toilets. Very inhumane. Ironically, Trump involves himself in many countries, claiming the inhumanity of the government, while building these torture camps using old abandoned prisons. I am still processing the abuse I suffered,” she told the publication.
Arrest and immigration troubles
Mel and Peet were arrested in Florida in March after being accused of aggravated grand retail theft. Following their arrest, immigration authorities took them into custody after it was revealed that they had allegedly overstayed their tourist visas.
The couple have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, with Mel maintaining that the allegations against them were unjustified. She has described the criminal case as suspicious and insists that her return to South Africa is proof that authorities found no grounds to continue holding her.
Mel Viljoen’s changed perspective
The ordeal appears to have dramatically altered Mel’s views on life and politics. Once a Trump supporter, she now says her experiences inside the immigration system have left her disillusioned.
Despite everything, Mel says the experience strengthened her bond with her husband and taught her valuable lessons about resilience and compassion.
“We need to be kind. People are fighting battles we know nothing about,” she said while reflecting on the months that changed her life forever.
As she begins rebuilding her life in South Africa, Mel admits that the trauma of detention will remain with her for a long time. Still, she hopes sharing her story will help others better understand the realities faced by those caught in immigration systems around the world.
Also see: Mel and Peet Viljoen face possible deportation or jail after arrest
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