August 17, 2025.

A federal judge is considering whether detainees have been denied their legal rights at a temporary immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades. This is the second lawsuit challenging practices at the facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” On Monday, civil rights attorneys in Miami will ask a judge to ensure detainees have confidential access to their lawyers. They also want the judge to identify an immigration court with jurisdiction over the center. Florida officials dispute claims that attorneys have been unable to meet with clients, noting that video-conferencing and in-person meetings began in July. Civil rights attorneys counter that those meetings are restricted and are neither private nor confidential.