florida immigration detention everglades homeland security.

A federal judge in Florida is pushing for a resolution in a lawsuit over detainees’ access to attorneys at an immigration detention center in the Everglades. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has ordered a two-day conference next month in her Fort Myers courtroom. The lawsuit challenges whether detainees at “Alligator Alcatraz” are getting adequate legal access. Attorneys for the detainees are seeking a preliminary injunction to improve communication with their clients. They claim current practices make it difficult to meet before key deadlines. This case is one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the facility.