MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Bartlett man who was arrested by ICE agents last week is sharing a first-hand account of what it’s like inside an immigrant detainment facility for those who face deportation.

It hasn’t been quite a week since Gerardo Grenados was approached by ICE agents while sitting in the driveway of his Bartlett home, handcuffed and hauled away.

His son Edgar and their family finally established contact with Gerardo, and paid for cell phone time at the Louisiana prison where he is being held, Ridgewood Correctional Center.

Edgar phoned his dad, who he says is being detained at the prison because the ICE facility is full. He let us speak with his 51-year-old father as he translated.

“He says (he is) ok. But he is feeling a little bit flu-like and sick,” Edgar said.

We asked him about the conditions where he is being housed, after hearing national reports of overcrowding and abuse at some facilities.

“He is saying that the place that they have him they are only allowing him to be outdoors for one hour,” Edgar translated. “He says about 130 people in a room. It’s a large room, but where he is at right now, it’s 130 people.”

Gerardo’s family says he has been in the U.S. for 23 years and contributes to society, helping people in need and taking part in church food drives.

They now believe they were profiled when Gerardo was picked up in his driveway, with ICE spotting him as they drove by.

His family says waiting on citizenship in a broken immigration system is a costly and long process, and many immigrants desperate for a better life find a way to get to the U.S.

We asked Gerardo if he has any regrets.

“He says the decision is fine with him because the reason he came to this country was to stay with his wife and his family, and he doesn’t regret it,” Edgar said.

Now he waits for a court hearing to determine if he will get a bond and then another hearing to give proof that he should be allowed to remain in the U.S. or sent back to his native Mexico.

“He is saying, as far as him accepting the crime he did, he understands that,” Edgar said. “But he also feels like a lot of Hispanics, that the border crossed us. But he understands that and hopes the judge shows mercy, because he is not a criminal.”

Edgar is thankful for being able to speak with his dad, but each time they talk its tough.

In the little English he can speak, Gerardo spoke of his family.

“Thank you so much for my family,” Gerardo said. “I don’t know my status. It’s broken.”