FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A state-run immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz must provide better access to attorneys for detainees, according to a ruling from a federal judge issued last Friday. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell mandated that officials at the facility must enable timely, free, confidential, unmonitored, and unrecorded outgoing legal calls. Furthermore, at least one operable telephone must be available for every 25 detainees. The order also stipulates that information must be available to detainees and their attorneys in multiple languages.
Attorneys had previously submitted statements in Fort Myers federal court asserting that clients were unable to utilize staff cellphones to contact them, nor could lawyers conduct unannounced visits to the facility. A state contractor had testified in January that access to legal assistance was adequate, prompting the court to investigate the availability of communications for detained individuals.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management, which oversees the detention center, has not responded to inquiries. The Everglades facility was constructed last summer at a remote airstrip under the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, aligning with former President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Florida has also established a second immigration detention center in the northern part of the state.
A lawsuit filed by former detainees claims violations of their First Amendment rights, highlighting the difficulties in scheduling legal visits with attorneys, including the requirement to make appointments three days in advance—unlike other facilities that allow immediate access during visiting hours. Additionally, they noted issues with delays that prevented timely meetings before critical legal deadlines.
State officials named in the lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing, asserting that challenges to attorney access are due to security and staffing issues. Federal officials also maintain that the rights of detainees have not been infringed.
Attorneys had previously submitted statements in Fort Myers federal court asserting that clients were unable to utilize staff cellphones to contact them, nor could lawyers conduct unannounced visits to the facility. A state contractor had testified in January that access to legal assistance was adequate, prompting the court to investigate the availability of communications for detained individuals.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management, which oversees the detention center, has not responded to inquiries. The Everglades facility was constructed last summer at a remote airstrip under the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, aligning with former President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Florida has also established a second immigration detention center in the northern part of the state.
A lawsuit filed by former detainees claims violations of their First Amendment rights, highlighting the difficulties in scheduling legal visits with attorneys, including the requirement to make appointments three days in advance—unlike other facilities that allow immediate access during visiting hours. Additionally, they noted issues with delays that prevented timely meetings before critical legal deadlines.
State officials named in the lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing, asserting that challenges to attorney access are due to security and staffing issues. Federal officials also maintain that the rights of detainees have not been infringed.
