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Picking up the phone for a friendly chat or to set up a doctor's appointment is something you probably don't think twice about.

But for some young people, phone calls are a source of anxiety.

We talk to Gen Z to find out why.

A new documentary airing on PBS chronicles the rise of Justice Thurgood Marshall from a civil rights litigator who changed American history to the first African American Supreme Court justice.

And inside Alligator Alcatraz, through the eyes of a former detainee.

and you just feel like an animal.

And like all this stress, anxiety and depression is a build up for you.

You will do anything in your power just to get out, no matter the cost.

Hello, I'm Sandra Victorova.

Thank you for joining us.

The controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, according to a top Florida official.

This even as the state finds a federal judge's order to shutter the facility by a late October deadline, reports that the facility would lose.

Detainees come from an email exchange shared with The Associated Press.

In an August 22nd email, Florida Division of Emergency Management head Kevin Guthrie wrote to a South Florida rabbi regarding spiritual care at the facility.

That, quote, we are probably going to be down to zero individuals within a few days.

End quote.

Governor Ron DeSantis has said a recent court order to close the facility would not deter deportation efforts, and announced the opening of a second detention facility called Deportation Depot, near Jacksonville.

So what is life like for immigration detainees?

We take a look inside alligator Alcatraz through the eyes of a 23 year old.

We recently told you about Helmuth Petito from Nicaragua.

He has spent the last seven years in the keys with his mom.

He had planned on taking courses at a local college this fall, until he was detained by border Patrol last month.

Now released from the detention facility, he wants the public to hear his story.

We should note that state officials dispute, but that does.

Description of conditions at the facility.

Hey, can I see your badge number, please?

Why is he being arrested?

A group of concerned citizens document the moment border patrol agents detained Helms pet data in Key West more than a month later.

But data struggles to make sense of that day.

Do you have an experience that it doesn't even feel real to you?

Like your mind is like, shut down?

It's a day that has left him fearful.

I knew what was happening was wrong.

There's really nothing that I was doing on the bicycle that was illegal or a reason to stop me.

But at the calls, his stopped by officers racial profiling.

He never search me.

He never did anything.

All he was interested about, like, was your legal status.

He says he repeatedly told the officer he entered the country legally with a visa.

Even after I say that, he kept saying I came to this country illegally and I was a criminal and I had committed a crime.

In fact, my data has no criminal history.

He says he presented agents this valid Florida driver's license that day.

He also has a federal work permit, which allowed him to work as a maintenance engineer at a keys hotel.

His mom brought it to the U.S. when he was 16.

Both say they fled political persecution in their homeland.

The day he was detained, but says he explained to the agent that he had a hearing date for his political asylum petition in 2028.

Still, two days later, that data was on his way to Alligator Alcatraz in the middle of the night with other detainees.

It's like you lose all hope and you feel like everything is doomed.

Like you like in the lawyers that you can never fill.

As soon as you get off the bus.

All these guards rush out the door and start grabbing one by one.

They make you strip and get rid of all of your clothes, and that all you have allowed is your blood source.

But it does describe difficult conditions during processing.

You have chains on your feet and on your hands the entire night for like a whole day.

You just chained up like the guards are actually, like wearing a hoodie and jacket, because how cold it is.

It feels like a prisoner inside wearing detainee uniforms.

But ETA and other detainees worried about the frigid conditions for an older, thinner man.

He was shaking for like a good six, ten hours.

We fear for his life.

And we told the guards, hey, this guy.

Give him something.

Give him a blanket.

But letter says detainees had to deal with harsh conditions regularly.

The first four nights, we were just dealing with mosquitoes all over the place.

I remember for me, I had to color myself all we blankets.

I would have rather, like, sweat myself to sleep.

They have to deal with mosquitoes because you never know what type of illnesses they're going to carry with you.

And at times, flooding toilets were a problem.

So like for like an hour or two hours, you just deal with like one toilet clogging with water everywhere.

But data says it was a challenge getting the basics like medicine for his injured foot.

He said initially there wasn't enough food.

He says he lost about 17 pounds in three weeks.

Sometimes even getting water was problematic.

When I asked him for water and I spoke to him in English, he he to speak English.

So it's like there was not communication issue right there.

He straight up ignored me.

But data says there wasn't physical abuse there, but considers the treatment inhumane.

The psychological pressure they put on the plunger is real.

You feel you are being treated like an animal, like a dog, like a cat, or like a chicken.

In this case, because it was cages.

Once you have all that stress buildup, all that anxious, and all you want to give anything, you will give you your hand just to get out.

He said several detainees agreed to leave the country voluntarily because they lost hope they'd be released.

Others signed documents without understanding what they were signing.

A lack of trust.

There's no pamphlets.

There's nothing you can read that shows you what to do or where to look for help.

He said detainees are often told by guards they're not getting out.

You ask them anything.

All they say is that you're going back to your country.

He said confidential access to attorneys was tough for weeks.

Or had two court hearings.

And for none of them.

I was ever there.

But Bethesda knows he's lucky.

His attorney, who says he should have never been detained, helped him secure bond.

She's working to get his ankle monitor removed.

He says his experience has deepened his appreciation for his loved ones and the support of the Latino community.

He said I'm one of the greatest people I have met in my life.

Inside the cell, I met a pastor, which he was the one who guide me to the to God.

I met a lot of fathers.

I met a lot of like, people that are just trying to provide for their families, you know?

But there are still worries that he could be detained again.

So he moved to a new county in South Florida with his girlfriend, Emma.

I don't even want to leave the house.

You know, I don't want to be seen right now.

He admits he now struggles with where he belongs.

Now.

Nothing feels like home right now.

Not even my country, not even here, right now.

Just feels like I don't belong anywhere.

Even after everything you've been through, after everything that you have done.

Like you're going to school or college or whole, you know, you don't look like you belong here.

A statement from the Florida Division of Emergency Management disputes any descriptions of harsh conditions saying, quote, these allegations are false.

Detainees have access to 24 over seven medical care that includes a pharmacy, as well as clean working facilities for hygiene, and can schedule both in-person and virtual appointments with attorneys.

No guards are mistreating detainees.

Officers are highly trained and follow all federal and state detention protocols.

You also reached out to Border Patrol and Homeland Security for response to the story and have not heard back.

In a previous statement, Homeland Security said.

But overstayed his tourist visa.

His attorney says U.S. law allowed him to apply for political asylum within a year of arriving in the U.S., which he did.

Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump touted Alligator Alcatraz as a place where migrants with dangerous criminal histories would be held and deported.

But a joint investigation by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay times paints a different picture.

According to records they obtained, most detainees did not have criminal convictions, and many have scheduled immigration court hearings.

We recently spoke to Ben Wieder, an investigative reporter from the Miami Herald, about what those records showed.

when you look at the data, in fact, detainees with, criminal convictions, make up the smallest prior criminal convictions, make up the smallest number of detainees at the facility, according to our data.

Less than a third, in both our first data set and our second data set, But certainly that is, a sharp contrast to the language that we heard, about who is going to be sent to.

I'll get rock tries with President Trump, initially saying that this would this would be a facility for some of the most vicious people on the planet.

Certainly the data does not show that, to be the case at all.

And similarly, you know, vast majority of people in our data did not have final deportation orders, which meant that they still had ongoing, immigration proceedings, that would allow them to legally stay in the country while they were going through the courts.

And again, that is in sharp contrast to statements made by public officials, notably, governor DeSantis.

One attorney told one of your colleagues that we're seeing the government use psychological warfare against these detainees.

What did that attorney mean?

I think when you think about, the fact that people were sent to this facility, they didn't have, great legal access at the beginning that, you know, the lights were were on all day.

You know, their conditions were really, challenging to, to put it mildly.

They didn't really have the same legal access you would expect in a typical Ice detention facility.

It created conditions that were right for for people to basically, you know, grapple with this question of should they continue fighting their immigration fight with which in many cases, they legally have the right to continue, or should they give up in the hopes that it would put an end to this detainment?

And, you know, one of the examples of someone we featured in the story was someone who made that very difficult calculation and decided it wasn't worth it to keep fighting, that he just wanted to put an end to this experience There was one instance where a lawyer wrote about how a client of his who had intellectual disabilities, asked for a blanket and didn't really understand what was happening.

But but according to the lawyer, the guards said, well, if you want a blanket, sign this paper.

And unbeknownst to him, or maybe not fully understood by this client, this detainee was waving his right to continue to fight for immigration status.

So it gives you an insight into, you know, the kind of pressure campaign that I think a lot of detainees, felt that they were facing within the, facility itself and, you know, created conditions where, for some of these people that they would be willing to do anything to put an end to them.

Ben.

Peter, we thank you for your time and we thank you for your reporting.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Coming up, local Gen Z tells us why talking on the phone can be stressful.

And what one expert says young people should be doing to change that.

In our digital world, it's hard to imagine a ringing cell phone would cause anxiety in young people.

But parents and therapists say many teens and young adults are avoiding talking to a person on the phone.

What is called a phobia?

According to a survey by Uswitch.

Nearly a quarter of 18 to 34 year old say they never pick up calls.

There are even courses to help Gen Z learn to communicate by phone.

We spoke to three Fgcu students and a recent graduate to understand how they feel about phone communication.

I get pretty anxious when it comes to phone calls because for like for me, I really am worried about how I'm perceived as a person and if like they come in with these questions that I hadn't really mentally prepared for, it makes me feel like maybe they don't see me in this, like professional light, that I want to like people to seniors.

Right?

Like I want to seem prepared.

And with a phone call, sometimes you can get so caught off guard, but you need some time to think about what you want to say.

And that can come off as like uncertainty while in a phone, like a text message.

It won't because you already know what you're saying and it's already written and it's like, well thought out and it's delivered.

So depending on the context and who I'm speaking to, I really don't want to do a phone call if I have to make an appointment or if something, for example, with work, a phone call.

I just especially if there's no caller ID, if I don't recognize that's an FGCU number, I'm just like, oh, who's calling me?

And why are they calling me?

Kind of thing?

I would say it's more not knowing who it is or even me making the phone call to someone else.

So, for example, if I have to make an appointment, I'd much rather just do it online.

I have it written down.

It's visual, it's right in front of me, and I don't have to sit there going, hi, I'm Jenna, and do that whole process.

Something about it feels really awkward to me, especially with like making appointments and stuff like that.

I have to, like, mentally prepare myself.

Sometimes I'm like, okay, I have to make an appointment.

You guys are blowing my mind.

I do that.

It's I feel a great amount of pressure that you feel in how you're perceived.

Yes.

And that's sort of a new concept to me.

Does that seem crazy, what I'm saying to you?

No, not at all.

So, because I studied psychology, we're still kind of, like, coming out of that phase of, like, you know, what do people think of me?

You know, how is this person perceiving me?

And I want to make sure I'm perceived very good by all people.

There's still kind of that need to fit in a little bit.

And I think as you grow older, you kind of move away from that a little bit.

But because of social media and stuff like that, there's a lot more pressure on how others are to perceive you and stuff like that.

So, so I actually think it's something to do with growing up on social media and that perception of things.

I'm not really sure why exactly, but I think something to do with constantly being on the internet and having people watching you in some type of way can make you feel more vulnerable, at least on a phone call where someone's really they're hearing your voice.

I think that's a lot more intimate than a text message.

Bailey, you've been kind of quiet.

What do you make of this 100%?

I understand, their perspectives.

I definitely think it could be linked to social media or just the fact that whenever you go out in public, everyone has a phone.

Not not to be contrarian, but me personally, I honestly don't have any issues with making phone calls for appointments.

The biggest issue I have is like, what?

I have to look at my calendar.

I feel like I don't want to inconvenience the person on the other end by me taking like 30s to 60s to be like this day.

It's good if a phone calls a problem hour in person, connections with strangers a problem as well.

I really do think it depends on which stranger like if someone who kind of radiates that like confidence with them and they seem very sure of themselves sometimes I'll be like, oh, they're going to look down on me right?

But it really just depends on if someone is really, like, vibrant, like with these, like with these three here.

When I first met them, all three of them kind of just had that energy that felt very approachable from the get go.

I also wonder if, people's circumstances influence their, feelings about texting versus calling.

Just thinking about my own perspective.

In high school for over two years, I worked at a very forward facing position, Italian ice shop, where every day for, you know, like 5 to 10 hours, I was taking orders, greeting customers, in customer service.

So I wonder if like, that, translates to me being a lot more comfortable with phone calls.

So that's just a thought that I had as well.

I think it has to do with knowing our role in the situation, because even you saying that I've worked in customer service, I'm totally okay when a customer comes in being that like, hey, what do you need help with?

Because you know that you're the person supposed to help them.

I think I'm a lot younger than a lot of the people I work with, so a lot of the time I'm just like, la la la, how do I say hi?

And will they take me seriously?

Do they even know what I do where I work?

You know, just I think that's where we talked about even earlier that like, insecurity or like vulnerability with, like, how much do you see me?

This group of Gen Zers told us they all had some friends who preferred texting, and that they wished there was more face to face and direct communication.

So I'm hoping people get almost disgusted.

What was the I was like, I loves the right work, but with the phones to the point where they go, okay, I don't even want to be on it.

I don't even want to have it on me all the time.

I just want to be with the people next to me and be where my feet are.

Yeah.

Helping us take a closer look at social anxiety.

We are joined by Jacqueline Sperling, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Welcome, doctor Sperling.

So much for having me.

So let's start with is avoiding conversations on the phone even a problem in this digital world?

I know a lot of young people in my life.

They avoid the phone, but they don't think it's a problem is when does it become a problem?

It can become a problem if it starts to create interference with other areas of your life.

Now I get, you know, in terms of for some forms of communication, peers may want to communicate with each other via text.

But when you're going to have deeper conversations or talk about a relationship or what you want to do with that relationship, whether it's for dating, for example, if you want to continue the relationship or when to end the relationship, or you're trying to resolve conflict, or you're trying to, speak with someone about a major decision that's going to be made, and you can't have these conversations in person.

At least having conversations live over the phone can be really important, and it's an important skill set to have.

What is the risk to continually be avoiding either in-person contact or conversations on the phone?

When you continue to avoid something, it can then send a message to your brain that you can't handle it, or it's actually a threatening experience.

And also, you may then, feel rusty and not actually, capable.

You may not feel like you have the skill set so that the more time goes by, the harder it may be to approach the situation.

So it can be really helpful to create opportunities for regular practice so that someone has this can continue sense of momentum and sense of mastery.

So, Doctor Sperling, how can parents support the young people in their lives so that there's some balance?

Yes, using the technology, but also making these in-person connections or by phone connections.

Certainly they can do that in multiple different ways.

So one can be modeling being brave.

So parents can practice asking for directions when they're around their kids or making phone calls or ordering food in public, scheduling social plans so they can model these different experiences for their kids.

And they can also create opportunities for their kids to do these experiences themselves.

So helping kids practice to order, practicing, ordering for themselves, asking for directions, asking where's the bathroom?

For example, if they're in a restaurant, finding that out themselves, paying for themselves at a store or wherever you may be.

So creating opportunities for children to practice this is really important so that they know and can experience a sense of mastery.

Practice can facilitate a sense of momentum.

Now, it's important for parents to know because understandably, if you see your child worried or make mistakes that might make you feel uncomfortable and you may feel this urge like going to protect them if you rescue them and do it for them.

The thing is, making mistakes can be a powerful learning experience is not the only way to learn to get back up is if you have an opportunity to fall down.

So letting children practice and not you want to set them up for failure, but letting them practice, they may stumble.

Things could be messy, and then they can learn from those experiences.

Doctor Jacqueline Sperling, thank you so much for your time.

We appreciate it.

Thank you so much for having me.

It was a pleasure.

Thank you.

Coming up a new documentary on PBS looks at the Supreme Court justice who made his biggest headlines before ascending to the nation's highest court.

A sneak preview of becoming Thurgood.

A new documentary chronicles the rise of Justice Thurgood Marshall, from a brilliant young litigator to the first African-American Supreme Court justice.

Becoming Thurgood America's Social Architect airs on PBS in September.

There is no one in this country who hasn't been touched by Thurgood Marshall.

Genius.

What is striking to me is the importance of law in determining the condition of the Negro.

Just realize he was effectively enslaved by a law which declared him a chattel and an American.

He was emancipated by law and then disfranchized and segregated by law, and finally beginning to win with quality.

By law, you.

And we are joined by the film's director and producer now Alexis Agri.

Welcome, Alexis.

I think I'm so happy to be here.

Well, thank you.

So in the promo to this film, we heard a voice say that Thurgood Marshall is the only Supreme Court justice more famous for what he accomplished before becoming part of the Supreme Court.

So explain that and explain also how important his work was to the civil rights movement in this country.

His work was really pivotal.

It was integral.

His work was about trying to make sure that America lived up to its highest ideals, that the laws written and agreed upon in the Constitution and in our amendments, were equally applied across all the US citizens, which African-Americans and many others were sort of excluded from, because of, state laws that created sort of black codes and, Jim Crow laws that, did not allow African-Americans and others, to participate in sort of voting.

And due process and, equal protection of an opportunity for education in schools.

So Thurgood Marshall work in a lot of his, pivotal cases were before he ascended to the bench.

And, and, like Cheryl Cashin says in the film, he was more famous, before he ascended to the bench.

Do you think audiences will be surprised by something they learn in this documentary?

Perhaps that you or too.

I you know, I was really moved.

There's two huge things I most African my father's from Ghana.

And finding out how integral Justice Marshall was in sort of the, drafting of the Ghanaian constitution and the Kenyan constitution.

He spent a lot of time after post civil rights, helping, countries that were newly liberated from colonial power, to write constitutions, which I think is really powerful work.

And I don't I don't know if many people know that he did that work.

So that was really interesting to me.

But I also think, the thing that stays with me most about, Justice Marshall's work is how gregarious and funny.

Everyone that knew him, says he was.

They say he could tell a story and he could entertain anyone, regardless of their political beliefs or ideals.

He was just a larger than life, big personality.

And while his work was incredibly serious, and and important and impactful, he also was a big character and hilarious, apparently.

Well, Alexis, we so congratulate you on this project and we look forward to seeing it.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

And remember that you can catch becoming Thurgood America's social architect right here on WGCU TV.

That's Tuesday, September 9th at 10 p.m.. Coming up next week.

How our changing climate is impacting southwest Florida.

From heat related health issues to our looming water crisis.

Join us for a special edition of InFocus, and we thank you for joining us today.

We're going to leave you with the sights and sounds of the grand opening of an otter grotto at the Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can find all of our stories and those extended interviews.

Have a great day and we hope to see you next week.

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