DAVID FISCHER and MIKE SCHNEIDER.

Judge to weigh detainees’ legal rights at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in Florida Everglades

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.

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A protester stands outside the migrant detention dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Facility, Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Alexandra Rodriguez)

Judge considers whether Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center violates environmental law

A federal judge heard arguments about an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe want to halt the project, claiming it violates environmental laws and threatens sensitive wetlands. The lawsuit in Miami challenges the detention center, built over a month ago on a Miami-Dade County airstrip. A separate lawsuit by civil rights groups argues detainees’ rights are being violated. Attorneys for federal and state agencies argue the case was filed in the wrong jurisdiction. The judge hasn’t yet ruled on this argument.

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